GOLDEYE BLASTS BEAT X’S
Winnipeg Hits Six Homers in Rubber Game
Winnipeg, MB (July 10th, 2022) –The Winnipeg Goldeyes hit six home runs as they blasted their way past the Sioux City Explorers on Sunday afternoon 12-3, taking the rubber game.
It was the Explorers who struck in the first inning. Tyler Rando, who reached on a single and made his way to third, scored on a wild pitch to put Sioux City on top 1-0.
However the game quickly shifted into Winnipeg’s favor in the bottom of the second when they scored nine runs on nine hits in a rally that sent thirteen batters to the plate with the first eleven of those reaching.
David Washington and Logan Hill hit back to back homers to lead off the inning. After a single, an error and a fielder’s choice Winnipeg went on a stretch where five consecutive hits drove in runs. Justin Thompson with an RBI single, Reggie Pruitt with a run scoring double, Ian Sagdal brought home two with a base hit and Max Murphy singled to drive in a run. Washington then blasted his second home run of the inning, and the two-run dinger finished off the rally for the Goldeyes putting them up 9-1.
All the damage was done to X’s starter Zach Hedges (0-4) who took the loss. He gave up nine runs, eight earned on nine hits with a couple of strikeouts and a walk in two innings.
Back to back doubles in the third from Trey Martin and Blake Tiberi scored another run for the X’s to cut the deficit down to 9-2.
From that point on, Goldeyes starting pitcher Luis Ramirez (6-2) cruised. After the Tiberi run scoring double he retired ten straight, and he retired the final sixteen of seventeen batters he faced. He ended up going seven innings allowing two runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and did not walk a batter.
Of the six homers hit in the game by Winnipeg, four of them came to lead off an inning. Max Murphy hit a pair with one in the fourth and one in the eighth. Rookie Justin Thompson hit the first of his professional career.
Michael Lang who came out of retirement for the weekend finished his suddenly extended X’s career strong with two hits in the contest including a single in his final at bat.
Sioux City now hits the All-Star Break with a 21-30 record. Pitchers Patrick Ledet and Thomas McIlraith will go to Chicago for the mid-summer classic played on Tuesday July 12th at Impact Field. The Explorers will hit the diamond again on Thursday night at 7:05 pm when they take on the Sioux Falls Canaries for the start of a three game series.