SERMO TIES HOME RUN RECORD IN SWEEP
X’s Offense Has Banner Day to Finish Sweep of Houston
Sioux City, IA (July 25, 2021) – Jose Sermo hit two home runs to tie Nolan Lane for the Sioux City Explorers career franchise record and Sebastian Zawada collected a season high five hits and three doubles as the Explorers offense powered their way to a series sweep of the Houston Apollos on Sunday afternoon, 16-4.
The X’s used the first of three Sebastian Zawada doubles in the bottom of the first to plate three runs in the opening frame to take a 3-0 lead.
The Apollos pulled it close in the second, scoring two on a Ian Yetsko single to right center to make it a one run, 3-2 game.
However that’s as close as the Apollos would get as the Explorers hung a seven spot in the bottom of the second. The seven run inning was the largest rally of the year for Sioux City. It was highlighted by three home runs.
First was Jose Sermo’s three run no-doubter to left which was his 56th as a Sioux City Explorer, placing him alone in second place in the X’s career record books.
Immediately following Sermo was LT Tolbert who went back to back with a solo shot. And Blake Tiberi added a two run homer for his first dinger with the X’s.
Taking the loss for Houston was Kenny Pierson (0-3) who surrendered eight runs in one and one-third innings, on six hits with four walks and a strikeout.
Leading 10-2 at the end of the second Sioux City would score twice in each the fourth, fifth and sixth to plate their sixteen runs, which turned out to be a season high. There were a total of five Explorers who had multi RBI games including Sermo and Zawada as Joseph Monge and Tiberi collected three and DJ Poteet drove in two.
Everybody in the Sioux City starting lineup either drove in a run or scored one and six batters had multi hit games. None more than Sebastian Zawada who had the first five hit game of the season for Sioux City and of his career with three of those hits being three doubles.
One of the two runs scored in the sixth came on a second home run of the day from Jose Sermo. For Sermo it was his 57th as a Sioux City Explorer tying him for first place in the X’s record books with Nolan Lane, a record that has stood since 1998. It was also Sermo’s seventh multi home run game of his career with the X’s and his 22nd of the year, tying his career high that he set during his 2018 MVP season.
Picking up the win in relief for Sioux City was Brandon Brosher (1-1) who threw an inning and two-thirds scoreless allowing a hit and two walks while striking out three.
With the win the Explorers finish a three game sweep of the Houston Apollos and will have a day off on Monday before continuing the nine game home stand by welcoming the Winnipeg Goldeyes to town on Tuesday with first pitch set for 7:05 pm.