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Sioux City Defeats Reigning League Champs to Open Season  

Kansas City, KS (May 13th, 2021) — The Sioux City Explorers opened up their 2022 season with a 2-0 victory over their West Division rivals and reigning American Association champion Kansas City Monarchs. 

The first five innings of the ballgame belonged to the starting pitchers as both Matt Hall of the Monarchs and Kevin McCanna with the X’s dueled it out. 

McCanna (1-0) earned the win in his return to the Explorers roster after a five year hiatus with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He tossed five shutout frames, striking out four, walking three and allowing only three hits. 

He was aided in the fourth inning when Sebastian Zawada lined a double down the left field line scoring Nate Samson from first who slid under the tag at the plate to score the first run of the game. 

That run proved to be enough to hand Monarchs starter Matt Hall (0-1) the loss. He lasted five innings allowing just the lone run on three hits with six punch outs and did not give up a walk. 

In the eighth former Monarch Nick Franklin hit a two out solo home run off of former Explorer Nick Belzer to pad the X’s lead to 2-0. 

Sioux City’s bullpen shut out the Monarchs the rest of the way behind the efforts of Max Kuhns, Blaine Hardy, Nate Gercken and Thomas McIlraith (1) who earned the save for Sioux City. 

With the win Sioux City goes 1-0 on the young season. The Explorers and Monarchs will meet for game two of the three game weekend set on Saturday with first pitch set for 6:00. Right handers match up as Tyler Beardsley is scheduled to pitch for Sioux City and Akeem Bostick for Kansas City. 

The Sioux City Explorers 30th year in Siouxland will begin at MercyOne Field at Lewis and Clark Park on May 17th versus the Lake Country DockHounds. Season, Group and Single Game Tickets are now all on sale and can be purchased by calling (712) 277-9467.