LATE HOME RUNS DOWN X’S IN SERIES OPENER
Kelly In Ninth, Pina in Tenth Wins Game for Fargo
Sioux City, IA (August 6, 2021) – It was a pair of late home runs that beat the Sioux City Explorers on Friday night as a Dylan Kelly homer in the ninth, coupled with a Leobaldo Pina homer in the tenth ended up being the difference in the 5-3 loss to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.
Fargo got out of the gates quickly in the top of the first as Correlle Prime took the second pitch of the game and smacked it off the right field fence for a triple. He would score on a Pina sacrifice fly to center to give the RedHawks a 1-0 lead.
In the fourth it was former Sioux City Explorer Dylan Kelly who doubled to left center with two outs to drive Kevin Krause home from first doubling the RedHawks lead to 2-0.
Sioux City in the bottom half of the inning finally responded offensively, collecting their first hit and first run of the contest on Seamus Curran’s first home run with the team to cut the deficit in half 2-1.
With two gone in the sixth Sioux City made some two out magic. After a single and a walk it was once again Curran delivering with an RBI single to left bringing home Michael Lang and tying the game at two. Sebastian Zawada followed with a RBI single to give Sioux City a 3-2 lead.
The score remained that way until the ninth inning, when with one out in the inning, Kelly tormented his former club of three seasons with an opposite field home run over the left field wall to tie it at three.
In the tenth, after a one out single Leobaldo Pina left no doubt on a home run to left field putting Fargo firmly ahead 5-3.
Taking the loss for Sioux City was Brandon Brosher (1-2) who gave up the homer to Pina while also striking out the side in the tenth.
Earning the win in relief for Fargo was Luke Lind (2-1) who fired two perfect frames of relief, collecting four strikeouts.
Alex DuBord took home his eighth save of the season with a scoreless bottom of the tenth after allowing a lead off single.
The RedHawks and Explorers will meet for the second game of the three game series on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 pm. Southpaw Patrick Ledet (6-3, 6.16) takes the mound for Sioux City. And former Sioux City Explorer, Ryan Flores (5-2, 3.28) gets the ball for Fargo.