SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2024
By Austin Thomas
GARY BEATS SIOUX CITY IN ROLLER COASTER GAME
LATE-INNING EXPLOSION POWERS THE RAILCATS
GARY, IN – The Sioux City Explorers (4-7) couldn’t take down the Gary SouthShore RailCats (4-7) Tuesday afternoon, falling 15-8 after the RailCats erupted for nine runs in the seventh inning. The up-and-down game saw Gary start off up 6-2 before Sioux City stormed back to take a 7-6 lead, but it wasn’t enough for the late-inning RailCats offense. Gary was led by a three-homer day from Carlos Rincon along with three extra-base hits from Gio Diaz.
The RailCats started off on the right foot, taking an early lead in the bottom of the first with an RBI single from Gary’s Guillermo Quintana off Sioux City starter Joey Murray that sent home Diaz, making it 1-0. The lead was extended on the next plate appearance when Gary’s Rincon launched a three-run shot off Sioux City’s Murray, scoring Quintana and making it 3-0 RailCats.
It took a while for the next run to score as Sioux City’s Murray and Gary’s Carlos Sanabria locked in, but the X’s started to come back in the fourth. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Daniel Lingua rushed home on a wild pitch from RailCats’ Sanabria before Sioux City’s Zac Vooletich knocked home John Nogowski with an RBI on a fielder’s choice, cutting the Gary lead to 3-2.
After cutting into the RailCats’ lead, Gary responded with a big bottom of the fourth. Following a leadoff walk to Gary’s Diaz, Sioux City’s Jacob Gilliland relieved Murray. After recording two outs, Gary’s Rincon ripped his second dinger of the game, sending Diaz around to score and making it 5-2. After that, Gary’s LG Castillo came home when Sioux City third baseman Daniel Lingua committed an error, allowing Jackson Valera to reach base with two outs and extending the RailCats’ lead to 6-2.
Facing a big deficit, the X’s fought right back with an explosive top of the fifth. Sioux City’s John Nogowski started with an RBI double off Gary’s Sanabria, sending Jake Ortega home before Scott Ota cleared the bases with a three-run homer to score Lingua and Nogowski, knotting the game 6-6.
After a shutout inning from Sioux City’s Gilliland, the Explorers took the lead in the top of the sixth when Gary reliever Julio Pinto balked with Ortega on third, sending him home and giving the X’s a 7-6 advantage.
After holding the one-run lead for an inning, the roof caved in on the Explorers in the bottom of the seventh with Gary’s Diaz knocking an RBI double off Sioux City’s Denson Hull (0-2), pushing around Mike Gulino and tying it 7-7. After a walk to Olivier Basabe, Sioux City’s Hull was relieved by Matt Ball. Gary’s Guillermo Quintana hit an RBI single off Ball, scoring Diaz for his third run of the game before Rincon smacked his third homer of the game, sending home Quintana and Basabe and making it 11-7 RailCats. Then with two outs, Gary’s Gulino came back up and hit his second single of the inning, scoring Jackson Valera to make it 12-7. After loading the bases, the RailCats scored again thanks to a bases-clearing triple from Gary’s Diaz off Sioux City’s Ball, sending around Marcos Gonzalez, Gulino and former Explorer Miguel Sierra, putting the RailCats’ advantage to 15-7.
The Explorers managed to get one back in the top of the ninth on a Lingua sac fly that scored Chase Harris, but it was too little, too late as the X’s fell 15-8.
Box ScoreThe Explorers wrap up their first road trip of the season with the final game of a three game series Wednesday night at 6:45 p.m. against the Gary SouthShore Railcats at the Steel Yard in Gary, Indiana. The team will return home Friday, May 24 to face the Chicago Dogs. 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.
TUNE INTO ALL THE EXPLORERS ACTION ON KSCJ AND AABASEBALL.TV