SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2024
By Dan Vaughan Jr.
EXPLORERS GET OUT THE BROOMS
NOGOWSKI BLAST X’S PAST GOLDEYES
Winnipeg, Manitoba – For the second time in the three-game series, a home run by John Nogowski proved to be the difference on the scoreboard for the Sioux City Explorers (40-45). The former Big Leaguer launched a two-run blast in the top of the seventh off Ryder Yakel (2-3) to power the Explorers to a 5-4 win over the Winnipeg Goldeyes (47-38) on Sunday in front of 5,746.
J.D. Scholten (5-2) got the starting nod for Sioux City. The state representative turned Explorer went six innings, surrendering four runs in an early back-and-forth affair. Michel Lambson would also work six frames for Winnipeg but would not figure in the decision.
The Xs took the lead in the top of the second inning. Nick Shumpert would lead off the inning with a double. Zac Vooletich followed with a single to put runners at first and third. Cam Cannon hit a sac fly to left to make it 1-0.
Winnipeg came back to load the bases off Scholten with Edwin Arroyo driving in the tying run with a hit by pitch with one out. Scholten then induced a double play ball to Andy Armstrong to keep the game even at one. The X’s came back to reclaim the lead in the top of the third on a solo homer from Justin Connell to make it 2-1 in favor of the Explorers.
The Goldeyes would once again load the bases off Scholten in the third, and they took the lead on a two-RBI single from Rob Emery, but the Sioux City defense picked up the second out on the play on Roby Enriquez who was caught in a rundown trying to score another run. Scholten then picked up the third out on a ground ball to third off the bat of Nick Anderson. Despite trailing 3-2, Scholten retired the next nine batters until Anderson hit a solo home run with two outs in the sixth to extend the lead to 4-2.
Sioux City would strand a runner in the fourth and fifth against Lambson who would retire the final three batters he faced in the sixth. In the seventh, Ryder Yakel took over for Lambson and picked up the first out, but Jake Green doubled to left with one out. Yakel then retired D’Shawn Knowles but surrendered an RBI single to Justin Connell for his second RBI of the game to cut the lead to 4-3. That RBI set up Nogowski who cleared the road behind the ballpark with his eleventh home run of the season, moving the X’s back in front for good.
John Sheaks would pitch the seventh, working around a leadoff single and recording a big strikeout of Max Murphy with runners at the corners and two outs. Brandon Brosher worked a scoreless eighth, and Kyle Marman worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth for his blank save.
The win for Sioux City and the loss by Kansas City moved the Explorers to one game behind Kansas City for the final playoff spot in the American Association West Division. The two teams begin a five-game series Monday, August 19 in Sioux City with the first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.
Ticket packages for the 2024 season are on sale now, including Full and Half-Season Tickets as well as 10, 15 and 25-game Flex Packs. More information is available by calling 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.
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