SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 21, 2024
By Dan Vaughan Jr.
EXPLORERS WIN CLASSIC DUEL IN EXTRAS
SIOUX CITY ROLLS TO A SEVENTH STRAIGHT WIN
Sioux City, Iowa – Justin Connell had the only two hits for the Sioux City Explorers ( 44-45) Wednesday night, but it was his 10th inning two-out RBI liner to right that would send the X’s to their seventh straight win, 1-0, over the Kansas City Monarchs (41-48).
The lack of offense was the real story for both teams as lefty Jared Wetherbee tossed seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts for Sioux City while Kansas City right-hander Julian Garcia went six innings while surrendering just one hit. The one hit was an infield single that Connell beat out in fifth. Neither pitcher was around when the winning run crossed in the 10th.
Garcia retired the first nine batters he faced until a lead-off walk by D’Shawn Knowles in the bottom of the fourth. Wetherbee sat down KC in order in the first then allowed one of his two walks to Moises Gomez to lead off the second. Wetherbee then retired the next eight batters until a base hit in the fourth by Gomez.
Each club had one golden opportunity in the game. In the bottom of the fifth with one out, Connell reached on the single and was followed by walk by Daniel Lingua one of three free passes issued by Garcia on the night. The pair would execute a double steal to put runners and second and third with one out. Nick Shumpert struck out looking, and with Jake Ortega batting, Connell tried to steal home and was out easily to end the inning.
Wetherbee would strikeout the side in the seventh to close out his night. Kansas City would then have their big threat of the night. Herbert Iser doubled off Brandon Brosher with one out. Abiatal Avelino hit a pop up to the right side of the infield that Cam Cannon misplayed for an error at first base to put two on with one out. Brosher would strikeout Ross Adolph and retire Lorenzo Cedrola on a fly to right to end the inning.
Junior Cerda worked two scoreless innings for Kansas City to hold Sioux City in check. Kyle Marman would work a scoreless top of the ninth to take the game to the bottom of the frame still scoreless. Zack Leban returned the favor working a 1-2-3 home half of the ninth. That would send the game to extra innings with the international tie breaker rule in effect. Frankie Tostado started at second base for Kansas City. Marman struck out the first two batters he faced then got a ground ball out to second to retire Iser to keep the goose eggs on the board.
The Explorers would pinch run Zac Vooletich at second base to start the bottom of the 10th. Scott Ota drove a fly to center to move Vooletich to third. Ozzie Martinez would strike out as Leban had the second out of the inning. Connell would fall down in the count 0-2 but battle back. After fouling off a pair of pitches, he would line the ball to right center to send home Vooletich for the game winner.
The win was the seventh in a row for Sioux City— their longest of the season—and increased the X’s lead to three games over Kansas City for the fourth and final playoff spot in the West Division with 11 games remaining.
The five-game series will wrap up Thursday night, August 22 at 7:05 p.m. at Lewis and Clark Park. Ticket packages for the 2024 season are on sale now, including Full and Half-Season Tickets as well as 10, 15 and 25-game Flex Packs. 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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