712.277.WINS (9467)

Sioux City Evens Up Series

Sioux City, IA  - The Sioux City Explorers were able to even up the series with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, and force a rubber game with an 8-7 win on Saturday. 

Fargo got the scoring started early with a three run Chris Jacobs home run in the first inning to jump out 3-0. 

Sioux City responded though with a two run second. Kyle Wren started it with a triple to right field and Michael Lang began his big offensive night with an RBI single. Lang ended up going 3-4 with a double and two RBI’s. Lang would advance to third on a Jose Sermo single and score on a throwing error by the pitcher to cut it to 3-2 Fargo after one. 

Sioux City took the lead in the second as Sebastian Zawada blasted his first career professional home run to tie the game at three. And Hunter Wood would reach on an error and score on Lang’s double giving the X’s a 4-3 lead. 

In the third Sioux City increased that lead with a trio of runs. A lead off walk to Nate Samson was followed by a stolen base and he would score on a base hit from Drew Stankiewicz. Dexture McCall followed with an infield single and there were two runners on for Sioux City. Stankiewicz scored on a wild pitch. And McCall would score as Hunter Wood reached on a fielders choice making it 7-3 X’s after three innings. 

Fargo would cut into that Explorers lead in the fifth as with two outs in the inning, TJ Bennett singled and Leobaldo Pina doubled putting runners on second and third for Correlle Prime who doubled to make it 7-5 Sioux City. 

That would end Zach Jemiola’s day. He would take the no decision for the X’s going four and two-thirds innings, allowing five runs on eight hits, walking four and striking out three. 

Sioux City added an insurance run in the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, Sermo hit a rocket to deep right field. The ball was caught and Hunter Wood who was at third tagged and scored before Lang could be doubled off at first base and it was 8-5 Explorers. 

Correlle Prime though once again caused problems for the X’s in the seventh, as with a man aboard he hit his second home run of the year, the two run blast made it an uncomfortable 8-7 Sioux City. Prime went 2-5 with a double, a home run and four RBI’s. 

That’s how the score stayed till the ninth when Matt Pobereyko finished the victory off for Sioux City, working around a one out single to seal the win for the X’s, collecting a pair of strikeouts in the final inning. 

Sioux City will now take on Fargo on Sunday afternoon in the rubber game of the series at 4:02 pm with Max Duval taking the hill for the Explorers and Tyler Pike for the Red Hawks.