Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2026
EXPLORERS SUFFER THIRD STRAIGHT SETBACK
MISSED CHANCES COST SIOUX CITY
By: Andrew Della Piana
SIOUX CITY, IA – Sioux City (8-10) dropped the opener of its three‑game set with Gary SouthShore (8-8) on Tuesday, falling 6–2 in a night defined by missed opportunities.
The Explorers left six of their nine baserunners in scoring position.
The X’s struck first in the bottom of the opening inning. After Austin Davis walked to lead off, Braulio Vásquez chopped a high bouncer up the middle to bring him home for a 1–0 lead. Sioux City’s first three batters reached, but two runners were stranded in scoring position. A theme that persisted all night.
Starter Josh Landry retired nine straight in the midst of his second professional outing, but the RailCats broke through in the fourth. A squeeze bunt by Cam Williams tied the game, and Nick Podkul followed with an RBI single to give Gary SouthShore a 2–1 lead.
The RailCats added another in the fifth when Cooper Weiss delivered a two‑out RBI single for his eighth hit in five games to extend the lead to 3–1.
On the mound, Deyni Olivero was sharp for Gary SouthShore, retiring 11 straight at one point before allowing back‑to‑back singles in the fourth. Sioux City couldn’t cash in.
The Explorers threatened again in the sixth.
After hits from Vásquez and Alberto Osuna, Zac Vooletich grounded out to bring home a run and cut the deficit to 3–2. But a bobbled catch in right by Scout Knotts stranded yet another runner in scoring position.
Gary SouthShore broke the game open in the seventh, all with two outs. A walk to Korry Howell kept the inning alive, he stole second, and Weiss drove him in after Henry George nearly made a diving catch in left. Joe Suozzi followed with a two‑run single to make it 6–2.
Sioux City put runners at the corners in the eighth, but a 5‑4‑3 double play ended the inning.
The RailCats bullpen trio of Dawson Lane, Denson Hull, and Jacob Coats closed out the final three innings to secure the win.
Sioux City continues its three‑game set with Gary SouthShore on Wednesday June 3. First pitch for game two is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., with pregame coverage starting at 6:05 p.m. on 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.
Notes from the Booth with DV:
-The X’s suffered their first losing streak of three games since May 25-27, 2025.
-Zac Vooletich’s eight-game hitting streak came to a close.
-6 of the 9 runners left on base were in scoring position.
-Josh Landry went 6.2 the longest outing by a starter this season.
-Sioux City has 47 stolen bases in 18 games.
-Braulio Vasquez had his ninth multi-hit game while Henry George had his sixth. That is one and two on the team.
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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