GARY, Ind.—The Sioux City Explorers (43-23) stormed out of the All-Star break with an 8-3 win over the Gary SouthShore RailCats (21-45). Tied through seven, the X’s rode a late offensive surge to victory in the series opener.
In a rain-soaked evening, The Explorers picked up right where they left off after the break, placing two base runners in scoring position with no outs for All-Star Zac Vooletich. His bouncer to third knocked in Austin Davis for the game’s first run.
Starter Ernesto Zaragoza plunked D’Shawn Knowles, and both he and Henry George stole their way into scoring position for Torin Montgomery. The former Missouri Tiger rolled over to third base as George crossed the plate and doubled the X’s lead.
Sioux City swiped four bases in the opening frame and went on to steal fifteen bags in the game, tying a league record and adding to its league-leading total.
The RailCats scored before recording their first base hit. Angel Macuare punched out his first batter in the third inning, but walked the next hitter, Xavier Valentin.
Jake Hoover stepped up next and dribbled a tailor-made double-play ball to third that scooted right through the wickets of Abdiel Layer into left field, putting runners at the corners. Elvis Peralta followed with a slow roller to second that squeaked by Nick Shumpert, scoring Valentin as Gary SouthShore cut the deficit in half.
Macuare exited after the third due to injury precaution, as lefty long man Jaren Jackson (1-2) replaced him and delivered a scoreless fourth. The RailCats grabbed the lead in the fifth inning thanks to back-to-back RBI doubles from Jairus Richards and LG Castillo.
After a shaky first inning, Zaragoza tossed five subsequent shutout innings, surrendering just two total hits in his outing. Demarcus Evans came on for the RailCats in the seventh and lost the lead.
Shumpert reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second on the next pitch, advancing to third when Valentin’s throw sailed into center field. With the infield in, Kurtis Byrne’s slow grounder to second allowed him to touch home and tie the game.
After working a scoreless sixth, 6-foot-7 veteran right-hander Nate Gercken (4-2) completed a shutdown seventh, keeping the score 3-3 through seven.
The X’s offense went back to work in the eighth. Vooletich walked to begin the frame and moved from first-to-third on Knowles’ single. Knowles took off for second, and the former Texas Tech Red Raider stole home in the process, and the Explorers took the lead.
Later in the inning with runners at the corners, Josh Day served Jonathan Martinez’s (0-3) first offering into right field, driving in Knowles and extending Sioux City’s lead to 5-3. The Explorers plated five in the inning, highlighted by Peralta’s two-run error that broke the game open.
Chase Jessee worked a scoreless eighth and Ben DeTaeye sealed the win in the ninth as the X’s moved to 6-1 on the season against the RailCats. With Kansas City’s loss to Kane County, the Explorers took a season-high four-game lead in the West Division.
The Explorers continue their four-game series with the RailCats tomorrow. First pitch is at 6:45 p.m. Ticket packages for the 2025 season are on sale now, including Full and Half-Season Tickets as well as 10-, 15-, and 25-game Flex Packs. For more information, please call 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.