SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 6, 2026
SECOND INNING STINGS EXPLORERS IN 15–12 SLUGFEST LOSS
TEAMS COMBINED FOR SEVEN HOME RUNS
By: Andrew Della Piana
SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Sioux City (32–39) fell 15–12 to Lake Country (40–30) on Thursday night, splitting the four‑game series in a wild offensive slugfest.
It was a game that featured 27 total runs and 33 hits
Manager Steve Montgomery summed it up bluntly, “…that second inning decided it. When you give good teams 6 outs, that’s what is going to happen.”
Lake Country struck immediately.
In the first, Joshua Mears obliterated a pitch over the left‑field corner for a three‑run homer for his league‑leading 26th to put the DockHounds up 3–0. Sioux City answered in the bottom half when Henry George singled home a run to make it 3–1.
The second inning proved catastrophic. Lake Country piled up eight runs on seven hits, capitalizing on extended opportunities and capping the frame with Dylan LaRue’s grand slam for his first professional home run to surge ahead 11–1.
Sioux City chipped away in the third on a George sacrifice fly, but Peter Zimmermann added a solo shot in the fourth to push the lead to 12–2.
The Explorers roared back in the bottom of the fourth, delivering their own massive inning. Alberto Osuna opened the rally with a solo homer, followed by four doubles in a seven‑run outburst that slashed the deficit to 12–9.
Zimmermann struck again in the sixth, launching his third homer of the series to make it 13–9.
Sioux City responded immediately as Henry George and Braulio Vásquez went back‑to‑back off Chris Jefferson, trimming it to 13–11 and the second time this season the Explorers have homered consecutively.
Lake Country delivered the knockout punch in the ninth. Anthony Garcia singled home a run, and a throwing error by D’Shawn Knowles sent another across on a ball out of play, stretching the lead to 15–11.
Sioux City got one back in the bottom of the ninth on a Jackson Van De Brake RBI double, but the rally ended there as the Explorers fell 15–12.
Sioux City opens a three‑game weekend series against Chicago on Friday at 6:35 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 6:05 p.m. on KSCJ 94.9 FM and 1360 AM. Fans can also watch every American Association game this season on the league’s streaming platform at aabaseball.tv. Tickets for all remaining games are available now by calling the Explorers front office at 712-277-WINS or online at xsbaseball.com.
Notes from the Booth with DV:
-Jackson Van De Brake reached base for the 32nd straight game.
-Austin Davis needs just one stolen base to break his own single season mark. He has 60 and stole two.
-Alberto Osuna and Braulio Vasquez hit their 13th home runs of the season after hitting their 12th in the same game on Wednesday.
-The 19 hits was the most allowed this season by Sioux City.
-The X’s tied a season high inning run mark of seven that they set last week in Gary, Indiana.
-The teams combined for seven home runs.
–ABOUT THE SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS: The Sioux City Explorers are a proud member of the American Association of Professional Baseball in Sioux City, IA. The Explorers play their home games at Security National Bank Field at Lewis & Clark Park. For more information, please visit xsbaseball.com and follow the team on Twitter at @SiouxCityXs and on Facebook at facebook.com/SiouxCityExplorers.
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