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X’s Can’t Hold Late Lead, Drop Series Opener

Kansas City, KS (June 21, 2022) - The Kansas City Monarchs scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth to steal game one of the series from the Sioux City Explorers 8-6. 

Sioux City jumped out in front early, just three pitches into the ballgame Chase Harris clobbered a lead off home run to take a 1-0 lead. In the second a two out, two-run triple from John Anthon gave the X’s a 3-0 lead. 

Kansas City bounced back almost immediately. Jan Hernandez homered in the second to cut the lead down to 3-1. A Darnell Sweeney RBI triple followed by a Gabby Guerrero RBI single tied the game 3-3 in the third. 

That’s all the damage the Monarchs managed against Tyler Beardsley. The X’s starter went five frames, allowing the three runs on six hits with three strikeouts and a pair of walks as he received a no decision. 

Sioux City re-took the lead in the fifth on an Ademar Rifaela double. And added to it in the seventh on Trey Martin’s first home run of the season to go up 5-3. 

That ended the night for Monarchs starter Jon Harris who went five and two-thirds innings allowing five runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks. 

Sioux City scored Danny Amaral in the seventh after he led off with a double and stole third to go up 6-3. But had bases loaded and no one out and bounced into a double play and loaded them again with two outs and ended the inning on a strike out. Keeping their lead at only three runs. 

In the eighth after a lead off walk to Matt Adams, David Thompson hit a low line drive over the right field wall for a two-run homer to cut the X’s lead down to just one, 6-5. After a two out walk, JC Escarra tied the game with a triple, and scored the go ahead run on a Willie Abreu infield single. Abreu stole second and third, then scored on a Darnell Sweeney single to complete Kansas City’s five run rally. 

Max Kuhns (0-4) was charged with the loss, he allowed four runs on two hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning. 

Sioux City has now allowed 27 runs to their opponents in the eighth inning, making it the highest scoring inning against X’s pitching. Kansas City has now scored 22 runs in their eighth innings, making it their highest scoring frame. 

Frank Rubio (1-0) got the win after pitching a scoreless eighth. Jameson McGrane (5) picked up the save with a scoreless ninth. 

Sioux City will look to end a four game losing streak on Wednesday night in Kansas City with first pitch at 7:00. Lefty Patrick Ledet (2-0, 2.50) takes the ball for the Explorers and right hander Matt Hartman (0-2, 1.70) gets it for the Monarchs.