SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2024
By Dan Vaughan Jr.
EXPLORERS OVERCOME SLOW START
MAGIC NUMBER DOWN TO ONE
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – For the second straight night the Sioux Falls Canaries (52-42) got off to a high flying first inning start but the Sioux City Explorers (47-48) would erase an early deficit and soar higher to a big 6-3 win Wednesday night at Sioux Falls Stadium.
The Canaries took the first inning lead on a double by Mike Hart off X’s starter Austin Dury. A wild pitch moved Hart to third and he would come home on an RBI single from Jordan Barth. Barth would try to stretch the single to a double, but he was thrown out at second base by Justin Connell. Hunter Clanin drew a walk then after a ground out by Josh Rehwaldt the Canaries picked up a two-run home run by Jabari Henry to make it 3-0.
Drury would settle down after the first inning. The Sioux City lefty walked the lead off batter in the second then retired the next 12 batters in a row before a leadoff single in the sixth.
Sioux City would tie things up in the top of the fourth. Neil Lang who got the start for the Canaries surrendered a one out single to Scott Ota. Ozzie Martinez then reached on an error by Barth at short to put runners at first and second. Lang got the second out on a Daniel Lingua fielder’s choice forcing out Martinez at second. Nick Shumpert hit a ball to third baseman Ernny Ordonez who booted it for an error scoring Ota to cut the lead to 3-1. Jake Green worked a walk from Lang to load the bases for D’Shawn Knowles. Knowles lined sharply up the middle to score two runs and tie the game. Lang got the third out of the inning on a fly ball to center from Daniel Montano.
Drury and Lang were not around when the X’s took the lead in the seventh. Zach Willeman (5-3) got the final out of the sixth and worked another two innings for the relief win. Ryan Zimmerman ran into trouble immediately in the top of the seventh. Montano drew a walk then was followed by a John Nogowski rocket double off the wall in right to set up the Explorers. Connell then delivered an RBI single down the line in left scoring both runners, but he would get thrown out at second trying to sneak into a double.
The Explorers pen did the rest with Willeman getting the game to the ninth for closer Kyle Marman who worked a three up and three down inning in the bottom of the ninth to notch his 19th save. Zimmerman (5-9) was charged with the loss for Sioux Falls. The win for Sioux City along with a loss for Kansas City in game one of their doubleheader lowered the Explorers magic number to one to clinch a playoff spot. The Explorers will look for a series win tomorrow with right-hander J.D. Scholten (5-2, 5.22) making the start while the Canaries will send out right-hander RHP Seth Miller (6-4, 3.61).
The Explorers and Canaries will play the final game of the three-game series Thursday night, August 29 at Sioux Falls Stadium with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch. Tickets for remaining games are available at the Lewis and Clark box office or online. 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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