SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 25, 2024
By Austin Thomas
SIOUX CITY EVENS SERIES AGAINST CHICAGO
EXPLORERS WIN BACK-AND-FORTH GAME
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Sioux City Explorers (6-8) took down the Chicago Dogs (8-6) Saturday night, winning 8-7 thanks to a late RBI double from Nick Shumpert. After taking an early lead, the X’s had to fight back until Shumpert put them ahead in the eighth inning. The X’s had ten players record a hit with four recording a multi-hit game.
The Dogs got on the board in the top of the first when Chicago’s Jacob Teter knocked home Jesus Lujano on an RBI single off Sioux City starter Jared Wetherbee, giving the Dogs an early 1-0 lead.
While Chicago starter Brooks Gosswein had a scoreless first, the X’s responded in the bottom of the second when Sioux City’s Henderson Perez tied it up with an RBI single to send home Daniel Lingua, knotting it 1-1. The Explorers John Nogowski then ripped an RBI double, sending home Henderson Perez and Chase Harris, making it 3-1 X’s.
The Dogs replied with a run of their own in the top of the third when Chicago’s Brantley Bell hit a sac fly to send home Lujano, making it a 3-2 X’s lead.
Chicago’s Gosswein kept the X’s scoreless in the third, which allowed the Dogs to tie the game on a David Maberry sac fly in the top of the fourth, scoring Dusty Stroup and making it 3-3.
In the top of the fifth, Chicago’s Bell hit an RBI single off Wetherbee, sending home Pavin Parks and giving the Dogs a 4-3 advantage. Chicago’s Narciso Crook then doubled the lead for the Dogs the next at-bat when he notched an RBI on a grounder that sent around Lujano who grabbed his third run of the game and extended the lead to 5-3.
The Dogs added runs in the top of the sixth when Chicago’s Maberry ripped a leadoff homer off Sioux City reliever Nate Gercken, making it a 6-3 Dogs lead.
The Explorers started to find their wheels again in the bottom of the sixth when Sioux City’s Zac Vooletich collected an RBI single off Chicago’s Gosswein, sending home Delvin Zinn to make it 6-4. After Chicago’s Michael Krauza relieved Gosswein, Chase Harris cut the lead to one with a two-out RBI single, scoring Vooletich and making it a 6-5 game.
After a shutout seventh from newly activated Sioux City reliever Heitor Tokar (1-0), the X’s tied it up in the bottom of the frame. With runners on first and second, Sioux City’s Daniel Perez pinch hit for Delvin Zinn to face Chicago reliever Cal Coughlin (1-1) knocking an RBI single, scoring Ota and knotting it 6-6.
In the top of the eighth, Chicago’s David Maberry let loose again with another solo shot, this time off Sioux City’s Tokar, snatching the lead back at 7-6.
With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, another new addition came up clutch for the X’s as Daniel Montano ripped an RBI single off Chicago’s Coughlin, pushing Nogowski around to score and tying it 7-7. Sioux City’s Nick Shumpert followed with a huge RBI double to left field, scoring Osvaldo Martinez and giving the Explorers an 8-7 lead.
Sioux City’s Zach Willeman relieved Tokar in the top of the ninth to finish off the Dogs. With two outs, Chicago’s Jacob Teter pulled a walk, but it wasn’t enough as Willeman was able to close it down for the save (2).
The Explorers will face the Chicago Dogs in the final game of the three-game series Sunday afternoon May 26 with a first pitch set for 4:05 p.m. Ticket packages for the 2024 season are on sale now, including Full and Half-Season Tickets as well as 10, 15 and 25-game Flex Packs. 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.