SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2026
EXPLORERS SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER
TAKE SERIES FROM FIRST-PLACE MONARCHS
By: Andrew Della Piana
SIOUX CITY, IOWA –Sioux City (28–33) split Sunday’s doubleheader with Kansas City (37–25), taking the series from the first‑place team in the West Division on a day played entirely in high‑90s heat that left both sides drained.
Manager Steve Montgomery mentioned afterward: “…both teams were exhausted, but credit our guys for battling all day.”
Game 1 – Kansas City 5, Sioux City 2
Only five baserunners reached in the first three innings, and the Explorers’ best early chance came in the bottom of the third when Jackson Van De Brake was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a Zac Vooletich single to left. Grant Richardson delivered a perfect throw to keep the game scoreless.
Kansas City broke through in the fourth after Sahid Valenzuela reached on a pop fly lost in the sun, sparking a four‑straight‑reach inning. Trevor Boone punched a two‑run single to make it 2–0, and Zach Willeman walked in another run to extend the lead to 3–0.
Sioux City clawed back in the sixth.
Austin Davis doubled, stole third, and scored when Sawyer Allen’s pickoff attempt turned into an errant throw from first baseman Luken Baker. Richardson misplayed the ball in left, allowing Vooletich to reach third, and two pitches later a wild pitch brought him home to cut the deficit to 3–2.
Kansas City answered immediately in the seventh.
Baker singled home a run, and Boone lifted a sacrifice fly into the corner in left to push the lead to 5–2.
Tyler Myrick closed the door with a 1‑2‑3 bottom half to seal the Monarchs’ win.
Game 2 – Sioux City 5, Kansas City 1
The Explorers wasted no time, with Austin Davis doubling in the first and scoring on a Zac Vooletich single to right for a 1–0 lead.
In the third, Brady Kresser made an immediate impact in his first professional at‑bat, launching a solo home run to left to make it 2–0.
Sioux City added another in the fourth when Jackson Van De Brake lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring D’Shawn Knowles after a throwing error on a failed pickoff moved him to third.
Kansas City finally reached Jarod Wright in the fifth on a Valenzuela RBI single, but Sioux City answered with a relentless two‑out rally in the bottom half. Four straight singles brought home Vooletich and Henry George to stretch the lead to 5–1.
Wright delivered 5.2 innings with just one earned run and five strikeouts against one of the league’s top offenses.
Sioux City closed out a gritty, heat‑soaked doubleheader split.
Sioux City begins a three‑game series at Gary SouthShore on Tuesday, with first pitch at 6:45 p.m. and pregame coverage at 6:15 p.m.KSCJ 94.9 FM and 1360 AM. Fans can also watch every American Association game this season on the league’s streaming platform at aabaseball.tv. Tickets for all remaining games are available now by calling the Explorers front office at 712-277-WINS or online at xsbaseball.com.
Notes from the Booth with DV:
-Sioux City is 5-4 against Kansas City this season.
-The X’s stole 11 bases in the three game series with Austin Davis stealing six.
-Austin Davis stole three bases and has 106 in his career and is third in club history.
-Jackson Van De Brake reached base in both games and has reached in 22 straight games.
-The X’s have won their last two series and four straight at home.
-Rookie Brodie Kresser homered in his first pro at bat.
–ABOUT THE SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS: The Sioux City Explorers are a proud member of the American Association of Professional Baseball in Sioux City, IA. The Explorers play their home games at Security National Bank Field at Lewis & Clark Park. For more information, please visit xsbaseball.com and follow the team on Twitter at @SiouxCityXs and on Facebook at facebook.com/SiouxCityExplorers.
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