SIOUX FALLS, SD— The Sioux City Explorers (29-18) erupted for five runs before the first out was recorded and never looked back, cruising to a dominant 14-3 win over the Sioux Falls Canaries (26-20) on Sunday afternoon. Powered by a grand slam from Nick Shumpert and a steady start from Kyle Marman (3-3), the Explorers clinched the series and reclaimed first place in the West Division.
Eager to rebound from the previous night’s defeat, the Explorers opened the game with a surge, loading the bases with no outs in the top of the first inning. Sioux Falls starter Seth Miller (1-4) worked the count full on D’Shawn Knowles, but switch hitter batting left handed poked the payoff pitch into left field, driving in the game’s first run.
Nick Shumpert stepped up next and promptly made the most of the moment, launching Miller’s 0-1 offering over the fence for the Explorers’ third grand slam of the season. Sioux City surged to a 5-0 lead before the Canaries recorded a single out.
Sioux City added to its lead in the second inning, as Zac Vooletich went deep for the second straight game with a solo shot to make it 6-0. Just two batters later, Nick Shumpert continued his torrid stretch, driving in his fifth run of the day with a double off the right-field wall. The San Jacinto product closed out the three-game series with an impressive 11 RBI.
For the second time in the series, Sioux City’s offense scored in each of the first three innings. The Explorers loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the third inning for Osvaldo Tovalin, who smashed a single to center, plating two and extending the advantage to 9-0.
That proved to be more than sufficient run support for Kyle Marman, who struck out five over the first three innings while limiting the damage to a lone run scored on a wild pitch. Marman navigated seven solid innings, yielding three runs on eight hits while striking out seven and issuing no walks.
Despite holding a comfortable lead, the Explorers’ offense remained relentless, adding an insurance run in the fifth, sixth and eighth and two in the ninth to maintain steady pressure throughout the contest.
Chase Jessee and Felix Cepeda took over and tossed scoreless frames out of the bullpen for Sioux City. The Explorers win another series and are once again in first place in the West Division with Kansas City’s 7-3 loss to Gary SouthShore.
The X’s return home July 1st against the Kane County Cougars. Start time for all three games of the series is 7:05 pm. Ticket packages for the 2025 season are on sale now, including Full and Half-Season Tickets as well as 10-, 15-, and 25-game Flex Packs. For more information, please call the Explorers front office at 712-277-WINS. Stay tuned to the Explorers’ social media channels and the club’s website, xsbaseball.com, for all our news and updates.