EXPLORERS TOPPLE MONARCHS
McCanna and Anthon Lead X’s To Victory
By: Will Glocker
Sioux City, Iowa (June 14th, 2022) – The Sioux City Explorers took game one from the Kansas City Monarchs by a final score of 6-4.
The Explorers started the scoring in the first by plating one in the first. Chase Harris led off the inning with a walk and scored on a Trey Martin sac fly to center.
In the top of the second the Monarchs evened it up. Jan Hernandez tripled and scored on a Casey Gillaspie single tying the game 1-1.
Sioux City answered right back in the bottom of the second. Ademar Rifaela and Blake Tiberi singled to start off the inning. John Anthon brought both of them home on a three run home run. His first as an Explorer.
The X’s scored again in the third. Nate Samson led off the inning with a single and advanced to third on a Gabe Snyder single and an error and scored on a double play pushing the lead to 5-1.
The last Explorers run of the game came in the fifth. Trey Martin singled and was plated by a Gabe Snyder two out double making it 6-1.
Lewis Thorpe (3-1) was handed the loss after a five inning performance. Thorpe allowed six runs, five earned, on eleven hits, one walk, and two strikeouts.
The Monarchs scratched a run across in the sixth. Darnell Sweeney started the inning off with a walk, Gabriel Guerrero singled to advance Sweeney to second and Sweeney then scored on a Hernandez single.
Kevin McCanna (5-1) got the win after a seven strikeout six inning performance. McCanna allowed two runs on five hits with two walks. He has now faced the Monarchs twice this season and has allowed two runs over eleven innings with eleven strikeouts.
In the seventh J.C. Escarra hit a two run homer to cut the X’s lead to 6-4. However that was the final hit the Monarchs would collect in the game as the X’s bullpen of Kuhns, Koch, Brosher and McIlraith finished off the win. Thomas McIlraith (8) earned the save for Sioux City with a perfect ninth.
Game two between the Explorers and Monarchs will begin at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday. Starting for Sioux City will be righty Tyler Beardsley (2-2, 4.74) and on the bump for the Monarchs will be fellow right hander Jon Harris (2-1, 2.79).