SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 25, 2024
By Dan Vaughan Jr.
SIOUX CITY CLAIMS FINAL GAME OF THE SERIES
EXPLORERS DIG OUT OF EARLY HOLE
Lincoln, Neb. – The Sioux City Explorers (46-47) got off to a rough start Sunday as the Lincoln Saltdogs (34-48) scored five first-inning runs to open the broom closets for a possible sweep at Haymarket Park. The Explorers came back in the fifth inning to put the brooms away and go on to 10-6 win. Sioux City would outscore the Saltdogs 10-1 from the second inning on, salvaging the final game of the series.
Zane Zurrbrugg led off the first with a solo home run off Sioux City starter Joey Murray (5-7). With one out, Murray hit Alex Baeza with a pitch and walked Matt Pita. Dalton Reeves launched a home run to right to give the Saltdogs a 4-0 lead. They would pick up their fifth run on an RBI single from Max Hewitt, and it was 5-0.
Sioux City chipped away at Lincoln starter Cam Wynne with single tallies in the second on an RBI single from Jake Green and another RBI single from Nick Shumpert in the fourth to cut the lead to 5-2.
The Explorers would take the lead in the fifth inning off Wynne. D’Shawn Knowles lead off with a double and was followed by Danield Lingua with a single to place runners at the corners. John Nogowski hit a rocket to left field that would score Knowles to pull the X’s to within three. Scott Ota then drove in another run on a fielder’s choice to second for the first out of the inning. Justin Connell then hit a three-run blast to right field to give Sioux City a 6-5 lead.
Sioux City picked up three more runs an inning later off Lincoln reliever Brian Perez. Green would draw a walk with one out. Knowles then added another hit to center. Daniel Montano would strike out, but Nogowski would drive in two runs with a double down the left field line to extend the lead to 7-5. Ota then hit another line drive down the right field line to score Nogowski, and the X’s were in front 8-5.
Murray would be relieved by Brandon Brosher with one out in the fifth, and Zach Willeman later took over in sixth. Lincoln did pick up a run off Willeman in the sixth on and RBI double by Pita, but the X’s would once again get the bats rolling in the eighth on another Nogowski base-hit RBI to make it 10-6.
Kyle Marman worked the eighth inning and would allow Lincoln to load the bases in the bottom of the ninth, but he would get the final out to secure the win. The win ended a two-game losing streak, and with Kansas City dropping their game to Winnipeg, the win put Sioux City four games clear of Kansas City.
The Explorers are off Monday, August 26 but return to action Tuesday, August 27 with game one of a three-game series against the Sioux Falls Canaries at Sioux Falls Stadium. Tickets for remaining games are available at the Lewis and Clark box office or online. More information is available by calling the Explorers front office at 712-277-WINS. Stay tuned to the Explorers social media channels and the club’s website xsbaseball.com for all our news and updates
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