SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2024
By Dan Vaughan Jr.
EXPLORERS GOOD NEWS STREAK REACHES SIX
SIOUX CITY WALKS AND ROLLS IN TWIN BILL SWEEP
Sioux City, Iowa – Six days ago, the Sioux City Explorers (43-45) had dropped back-to-back home series and were eight games below .500 and headed to Canada to face first place Winnipeg. The team trailed the Kansas City Monarchs (41-47) by three games and the window was closing on the season. After Tuesday night’s doubleheader sweep of Kansas City the X’s have now won six straight games and have gone from three games behind Kansas City to two games ahead. The Explorers followed up Monday night’s crazy win with two completely different games to hit the win column twice in one night.
Game 1
The Explorers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs Daniel Montano singled off starter Hunter McMahon. John Nogowski roped a single down the left field line that would put runners at first and third, but Monarchs left fielder Moises Gomez had trouble fielding the ball cleanly, committing an error allowing Montano to score and Nogowski to reach second.
Kansas City took the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Joey Murray looked to record a strikeout for the second out of the inning but a passed ball on catcher Jake Ortega allowed Jhailyn Ortiz to reach first base. Justin O’Connor then hit a two-run home run to left to make it 2-1 in favor of the Monarchs.
Sioux City went in order in the fourth inning while Murray retired the next five batters after the home run to take the game into the bottom of the fifth. Nick Shumpert led off the inning with a single then stole second base off McMahon. Ortega then put down a sacrifice bunt to move Shumpert to third. D’Shawn Knowles tied the game at two with a sac fly to right scoring Shumpert.
The teams stayed tied at two until the seventh and last frame when Sioux City manufactured a run off reliever Nate Tellier (3-3). Daniel Lingua led off with a bunt down the first base line that was misplayed by Tellier for an error allowing Lingua to reach base. Lingua would steal second and move to third on a sac bunt from Shumpert. That set up Ortega for a sac fly to right to send Lingua racing home for a 3-2 walk off win. Zach Willeman (4-2) picked up the win working one inning of scoreless relief.
Game 2
The nightcap started well for Sioux City. The X’s scored two in the first on a one out double for Daniel Montano followed by a single from John Nogowski to put runners at first and third facing the Monarchs Matt Hall (1-2). Ozzie Martinez put down a bunt single on the right side of the infield to score Montano to give Sioux City an early 1-0 lead. Scott Ota hit what looked like a pop out to shallow left, but it would drop between three Monarchs to load the bases. Justin Connell then hit into a fielders’ choice scoring Nogowski and it was 2-0.
In the bottom of the second Zac Vooletich hit a solo home run to left off Hall to up the lead to 3-0. John Sheaks (2-6) got the spot start and would face minimum through three innings in part to a caught stealing and a double play ball. The game would lock in from there and stay 3-0 until the fifth inning. J.C. Keyes would come into the game for Kansas City. He would walk Jake Ortega then surrender a single to D’Shawn Knowles to put two runners on the sacks. Keys would retire Montano on a fly to center but issue a walk to Nogowski to load the bases. Martinez would strike out for the second out of the inning, but back-to-back bases loaded walks to Ota and Connell scored two more runs and it was 5-0.
The Explorers then put the game away in the home half of the sixth. Juan Nunez relieved Keys and hit Cam Cannon and Ortega with pitches to start the inning. Knowles then singled to load the bases. Montano worked a bases loaded walk to make it 6-0. Nogowski hit a double to left center scoring two more runs giving the X’s an 8-0 lead. Martinez hit a sacrifice fly to close out the scoring for Sioux City at 9-0. Rookie Brendan O’Donnell worked a scoreless final inning to seal the sweep of the double dip.
The series continues Wednesday August 21 with game four of the five game series at 7:05 p.m. at Lewis and Clark Park. 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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