SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2024
By Dan Vaughan Jr.
EXPLORERS ROLL IN ENCORE PERFORMANCE
X’S SWEEP MONARCHS AND WIN EIGHTH STRAIGHT
Sioux City, Iowa – In a week that saw two walk off wins a marathon Monday and the classic pitchers duel the encore performance for the Sioux City Explorers (45-45) was a 15-3 run away win over the Kansas City Monarchs (41-49). The win completed a five-game sweep of the series and sent the Explorers to the good news win column for the eighth consecutive time.
The game was scoreless after two and a half innings but in the bottom of the third that would all change. Kansas City starter Jackson Goodard (2-6) would issue a one out walk to Jake Green. He then retired D’Shawn Knowles with a fly to right for the second out of the inning. Daniel Montano singled to right and was followed by a walk to John Nogowski to load the bases. Scott Ota delivered a grand slam home run to right to give the X’s a 4-0 lead.
Credit Katie Brewer Sioux City Explorers
Austin Drury (4-5) tossed his third straight quality start, working 6.1 innings with nine strikeouts and three earned runs. He would get more offensive support in the fourth on a sac fly RBI from Knowles, another run in the fifth on a fielder’s choice RBI from Ozzie Martinez and two more in the sixth on a Nogowski double and an Ota fielder’s choice RBI off reliever Gabriel Ponce. The Explorers were up 8-0 into the seventh before Kansas City got on the board. Ross Adolph hit a two-run home run to cut the lead to 8-2 and Isiah Gilliam picked up another RBI on a single to finish the night for Drury after 112 pitches. Zach Willeman got the final out of the seventh with the X’s leading 8-3.
In the bottom of the seventh the Explorers scored five more runs highlighted by the 11thhome run for Nogowski off Yefri Del Rosario and another pair of runs in the eighth on a pair of bases loaded walks issued by J.C. Keys. Kansas City would turn to second baseman Abiatal Avelino to get the final out of the eighth inning. In the end it was a 15 run 11 hit evening as the Explorers took the final by a score of 15-3. Jeremey Goins and Brendan O’Donnell both worked a scoreless inning of relief.
The Explorers have won eight in a row, their longest streak since July of 2023 and are now four games ahead of Kansas City for a playoff spot in the American Association West Division.
The Explorers will travel to Lincoln to open a three-game weekend series against the Lincoln Saltdogs Friday night August 23 at 7:05 p.m. Tickets for all 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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