Fargo, N.D.—The Sioux City Explorers (54-29) edged the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (47-36) in an ugly 2-1 victory that showcased grit on both sides. With the win, Sioux City solidified its place in the 2025 American Association postseason.
D’Shawn Knowles came into Wednesday’s matchup hitting .438 with nine extra-base hits, 23 RBI and 23 stolen bases over his last 23 games. He stepped to the plate with two outs and runners at the corners in the top of the first and cashed in, singling through the right side to drive in Austin Davis and give Sioux City the early 1-0 lead.
Fargo’s Michael Hallquist entered the game sporting a .435 clip over his last seven games and doubled to open the bottom of the second inning. He scored two pitches later, when Juan Fernandez singled him home.
The starters, Kyle Marman and Kolby Kiser, kept the score stagnant through six innings. Marman ran into the only scare in that stretch, loading the bases with none out in the bottom of the sixth.
The right-hander miraculously worked his way out of the jam, thanks to a timely fielder’s choice and a huge strikeout of Nicholas Northcut. With two men down, Lamar Sparks gave Marman’s 1-2 offering a ride to deep right field, but Knowles tracked it down, ending the inning.
Kiser notched one more inning than Marman as Ben DeTaeye (1-0) took over for the Explorers after the seventh-inning stretch. Dillon Thomas led off the frame and sent a deep drive to center field that glanced off Davis’s outstretched glove and ricocheted away as Thomas ended up at third with a triple. The disastrous downhill start to the inning continued when DeTaeye plunked Erik Ostberg to put runners at the corners with no outs.
DeTaeye walked the next batter, Jose Sermo, as the RedHawks loaded the bases for the second consecutive inning. DeTaeye then sent Hallquist down on strikes for the first out and forced a 4-6-3 double play as the X’s worked out of their second bases-loaded, no-out situation of the game.
Sioux City couldn’t get anything started against Kyle Johnston (4-2) in the top of the eighth as DeTaeye held serve in the bottom half of the inning. Johnston emerged from the dugout for the top of the ninth inning, retired the first two hitters before freshly-signed Maikol Escotto smoked a laser out to left for a wall-scraping solo home run to give the X’s the lead.
Manager Steve Montgomery brought in his closer, Felix Cepeda, to save the ballgame for the second straight night. He breezed through the inning as the Sioux City Explorers became the first team in the American Association to clinch a playoff berth.
The Explorers and RedHawks will play game the final game of the three game series Thursday night August 14 at Newman Outdoor Field in Fargo. The first pitch is set for 7:02 p.m. The game can be heard on radio at KSCJ 94.9 FM and 1360 AM and the video stream will air on aabaseball.tv. Tickets for all Explorers home games are available at the ticket office or going online at xsbaseball.com. 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.
Notes from the Booth with DV:
-Sioux City became the first team to clinch a playoff spot in the American Association.
-The season series is now 6-5 in favor of Sioux City.
-Sioux City is 21-8 in one run games.
-The X’s lead is five games over KC and seven over Fargo-Moorhead
-The Explorers are 34-15 in games decided by two runs or less.
-The Explorers road record is a league leading 28-15.
-The X’s had as many home runs and stolen bases tonight in the series clincher one.
-Rookie Ben DeTaeye a former Iowa Hawkeye earned his first pro win.
-Sioux City has won their last three series at Fargo-Moorhead.
-Felix Cepeda notched his 21st save and moves him into a tie for third all-time in Explorers history.
