712.277.WINS (9467)

BOX SCORE

Winnipeg, MB-The Explorers snapped a three-game losing streak with a nail-biting 6-5 victory Monday night at Shaw Park.

Sioux City (4-8) beat Winnipeg in the Goldeyes’ home opener to start a seven-game road trip that will conclude in Fargo-Moorhead. The X’s struck first with a run in the opening inning. With one out, Michael Lang singled to center. Andres Perez (pictured defensively) then walked. With two outs, Nate Samson singled to right to score Lang and extend his hit streak to the first 12 games of the season.

Sioux City added two more runs in the second. Mark Sobolewski led off with a single to left and later stole second. A two-out base hit by Rene Tosoni put runners at the corners. Tosoni stole second and Lang walked. Andres Perez drove in the game’s second run with an infield single that scored Sobolewski from third. Tom Mendonca walked with the bases loaded for a 3-0 lead.

With the Explorers leading 3-1, the fifth and sixth innings at the plate proved to be the difference for Sioux City. Nate Samson was hit by a pitch to lead off the fifth. Samson then stole second and later came around to score on a base hit by Mark Sobolewski. Peter Barrows singled to advance Sobolewski to second. A one-out base knock by Todd Jennings brought Sobolewski home for a 5-1 cushion. Andres Perez reached on an error to lead off the sixth. The next batter, Tom Mendonca, also reached on an error to place runners at first and third. Samson picked up his second RBI of the night on a single to left that plated Perez. It was 6-1 Sioux City through six.

Winnipeg (7-4) found a way to make it interesting in the latter stages. The Goldeyes used a three-run home run in the eighth by Ray Sadler to make it 6-4. The ninth inning started with Reggie Abercrombie reaching on an infield single. Donnie Webb walked. Attempting to bunt, Casey Haerther singled to load the bases. Ryan Pineda then grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to make it 6-5 as Abercrombie scored. With the tying run on third base, Luis Alen hit a ball that deflected off pitcher Chris Bodishbaugh to first baseman Luke Murton who then threw to Bodishbaugh covering first for the game’s final out.

Making his first start since coming out of the bullpen, right-hander Patrick Johnson posted the win. Johnson (1-1) worked five innings with six strikeouts and three walks. He allowed just one earned run on three base hits. Jason Jarvis took the loss for Winnipeg. Jarvis (1-2) went four-and-a-third and gave up five earned runs on ten hits with four strikeouts and four walks. Chris Bodishbaugh pitched the ninth to earn his first save of the season.   

At the plate, six different X’s batters collected two base hits including Mark Sobolewski, Peter Barrows, and Todd Jennings. Those three went a combined 6-for-15 at the bottom of the order. For the Goldeyes, Casey Haerther had a three-hit night while Tyler Kuhn had two. Sioux City outhit Winnipeg 13-8. Winnipeg committed two errors.   

The Explorers and Goldeyes play game two of the three-game series tomorrow night at 7 o’clock. Sioux City returns home June 2^nd against Gary SouthShore. For ticket information and promotion specials, call 712-277-WINS or visit the Explorers website at www.xsbaseball.com.