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X’s Split Doubleheader With KC

Kansas City, KS  - It all came down to the final innings of double header shortened games to decide them but the X’s split a double header with Kansas City as Sioux City won game one 7-6, and the T-Bones took game two 4-3. 

Game One

The X’s got out of the gate quickly jumping out to a 1-0 lead after a Michael Lang walk and stolen base, and Jose Sermo drove him home with a single. But things would change very quickly. 

Kansas City responded to that with a six run first inning, hanging a crooked number on the X’s. Daniel Nava tied the game with a single. After a bike hit by Taylor Sparks was bobbled in left field Nava would score to give Kansas City the lead 2-1. Shawn O’Malley singled home another run to make it 3-0 and Christian Correa had the big blow of the inning with a three run homer making it 6-1 T-Bones. 

The X’s would begin chipping away at that deficit as Nate Samson drove home a run with a base hit to center field with two outs in the second and the bases loaded. It scored one but Dylan Kelly tried scoring from second and was thrown out at the plate keeping it 6-2 X’s. 

In the third Henry Owens the starting pitcher for Kansas City loaded the bases on walks. With two outs in the inning Kelly made up for getting thrown out at the plate as he doubled, clearing the bases and making it a one run ball game at 6-5. 

That’s how it would stay till the final inning, when the X’s finished off the comeback. Jose Sermo lead off the inning with a single. After a failed sacrifice bunt attempt and a fly out Drew Stankiewicz singled to left to keep the X’s alive. Sebastian Zawada then doubled to the gap scoring both base runners to give Sioux City a 7-6 lead. 

Matt Pobereyko nailed down the save in the bottom half of the inning for his ninth save of the season. With the win the X’s had won seven consecutive games and for a few hours were in second place in the south division. 

Game Two

For the most part game two was a pitcher duel between Jon Perrin and Max Duval. 

At first it seemed as though Duval was out dueling Perrin after the Explorers jumped out to a 3-0 first inning lead. Samson, Adam Sasser and Stankiewicz all collected RBI’s in the first. 

Duval then crushed through the first four innings of the ball game allowing only two base runners and setting down the first eight batters he faced. But Perrin would would settle down himself as he went on to toss a complete game. 

Perrin (2-0) went all seven innings, allowing just the three runs in the first inning, giving up five hits and three walks but striking out a season high ten batters. At one point Perrin retired twelve straight and after the second inning the X’s never got another man into scoring position. 

Duval picked up a no decision as he allowed only two base runners through the first four innings but would run into trouble in the fifth. Kansas City began the rally with a one out walk. Ryan Brett doubled to put runners at second and third before Ramsey Romano put the T-Bones on the board with a base hit making it 3-1. 

Danny Mars would then double in another cutting the X’s lead down to just a single run. Then Dylan Tice with runners at second and third hit a ground ball to third, Romano was caught in a run down at third base and was tagged out before scoring the tying run. Mars stayed at second and in the next at bat took off for third base on a double steal, Justin Felix threw the ball down to second base, but the throw was low and unable to be handled, as the ball bounced away Mars took advantage and rounded third and scored to tie the game on the error 3-3. 

In the seventh Correa began the inning with a double to left field putting the winning run on base. Ryan Flores then checked in for the X’s for the first time this season and on the first pitch he threw hit Brett with the pitch. He settled down and was able to get an out on a sac bunt attempt and a fielders choice leaving runners at first and second with two outs. But Tice would send the local fans home happy as he lined one just past the out stretched glove of X’s first baseman Dexture McCall scoring Brett and ending the game in walk off fashion 4-3. 

Sioux City will take on the T-Bones in the series finale on Thursday with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 pm.