SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
August 1, 2023
By Austin Thomas
EXPLORERS OUTLAST REDHAWKS IN EXTRAS
DANIEL PEREZ WALK-OFF LIFTS SIOUX CITY OVER FARGO-MOORHEAD
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Sioux City Explorers (35-35) took down the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (35-33) in 12 innings Wednesday night thanks to a walk-off hit from Daniel Perez. The win was the Explorers third walk-off in four games and moved Sioux City into third place in the West Division, passing up the Lincoln Saltdogs.
Fargo starter Jake Dykhoff struggled early, issuing four consecutive walks with two outs to Sioux City in the bottom of the first, making it a 1-0 game before Explorers Vince Fernandez made it a 2-0 game, coming home on a wild pitch and extending the lead to 2-0. The X’s added one more as Sioux City’s Kyle Kasser crossed the plate on a Miguel Sierra infield single, giving the Explorers a 3-0 lead.
Despite the big first inning for the Explorers, the RedHawks made it close again the next inning with Leo Pina and Alec Olund scoring on a Sam Dexter single off X’s starter Austin Drury, cutting it to a 3-2 game.
Sioux City immediately responded in the bottom of the second with Explorers Scott Ota going home on a Matt Lloyd double off Fargo reliever Trey Cumbie, extending the lead to 4-2. The X’s didn’t stop there, adding another when Sioux City’s Lloyd scored on a Vince Fernandez single to right field, making it a 5-2 game.
The RedHawks answered in the fourth inning, starting with Fargo’s Nick Novak coming home on a fielder’s choice. Later in the inning, Scott Schreiber tied it 5-5 with Sam Dexter and Peter Brookshaw crossing the plate on Schreiber’s single.
The bullpens took over from there, keeping it tied into the ninth when Sean Rackoski took over as the sixth pitcher of the game for the Explorers. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Fargo’s Nick Novak singled to send home Scott Schreiber, giving the late lead to the RedHawks 6-5.
The RedHawks also went deep into the bullpen, putting in Reza Aleaziz as their fifth pitcher of the game for the bottom of the frame, but Daniel Perez singled and advanced to third on two sacrifices before scoring on Matt Lloyd’s game-tying single, knotting it 6-6.
Neither team scored in the 10th inning, but in the 11th, Fargo made it an 8-6 game on Alec Olund’s RBI double off Sioux City reliever Nate Gercken. Facing a two-run deficit, the X’s rebounded with Explorers Miguel Sierra coming home on a Daniel Perez double before Perez made his way home on a Scott Ota sac fly, tying it 8-8.
Fargo’s Sam Dexter started the 12th as an automatic runner for the RedHawks, scoring on sacrifices from Peter Brookshaw and Evan Alexander off X’s reliever Nate Gercken (2-3) to take a 9-8 lead.
Sioux City’s Delvin Zinn tied it up in the bottom of the 12th with an RBI single to send home Tyler Rando, and with the bases loaded, Daniel Perez knocked the walk-off hit off Kelvan Pilot(0-1) to send home Vince Fernandez, giving the Explorers a 10-9 victory.
The Explorers will face the second place Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks in game two of a three-game series Wednesday night with the first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. at Mercy One Field at Lewis and Clark Park. Tickets for the season can be purchased online as XSBaseball.com, in person at the Lewis and Clark Park Box Office or by calling 712-277-WINS. You can catch all the X’s action on aabaseball.tv and on radio at KSCJ 94.9 FM and 1360 AM with the pregame beginning 30 minutes prior to first pitch.