SIOUX CITY SHUTS OUT SIOUX FALLS TO TAKE GAME ONE
EXPLORERS TURN FIRST INNING FRENZY INTO POSTSEASON POISE
SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—The Sioux City Explorers (1-0) cracked open the West Division Series with a burst of early offense that left the Sioux Falls Canaries (0-1) playing catch-up from the jump. A 5-0 shutout on the road gave the X’s a commanding start and confidence heading into what could be a series-clinching Game Two.
The Explorers built a 3-0 lead over the Canaries four batters into the postseason.
Austin Davis led off by ripping Tanner Brown’s (0-1) first pitch into left field for a double. Henry George followed with a sharp single to bring Davis home. D’Shawn Knowles then crushed a triple into the left-center gap to knock in George, and Josh Day capped the rally with a deep fly ball to right field, easily scoring the Bahamian from third.
The X’s sent their ace, Kyle Marman (1-0), to the mound for Game One, and after retiring the first two hitters with ease, he ran into trouble. He allowed two singles and then walked Josh Rehwaldt, bringing up Jordan Barth. The right-hander forced the shortstop to fly out to center field to end the threat and preserve the lead.
After first-inning troubles, both arms settled in. From the second through the seventh, Marman and Brown each had a stretch sending 12 opponents in a row back to the dugout.
Will Levine was first out of the bullpen for the Canaries in the top of the seventh, and he plunked Zac Vooletich in the back with his first offering. Vooletich took off for second later in the inning, but catcher Scott Combs gunned him down, neutralizing Sioux City’s record-breaking speed.
Chase Jessee took over for Marman with two outs and a man at first in the bottom of the seventh. He struck out Mike Hart to end the frame and ripped off a scoreless eighth.
The X’s loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the ninth and tacked on a pair. Felix Cepeda, who last pitched seven days ago on August 27th, loaded the bases, but worked through a scoreless bottom of the ninth as the Explorers stole Game One on the road from the Canaries.
Box Score
The Explorers will be off Thursday September 4 before the best of three game West Division Series resumes at Lewis and Clark Park in Sioux City on Friday September 5. Game two against the Sioux Falls Canaries is set for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch with the gates opening at 6:00 p.m. The game can be heard on radio at KSCJ 94.9 FM and 1360 AM and the video stream will air on aabaseball.tv.
Playoff tickets for home playoff game number one are on sale now at the Lewis and Clark Box Office or online at xsbaseball.com. For more information, please call 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.
Notes from the Booth with DV:
-Tonight was the Explorers’ first win against the Canaries in the playoffs. The organization was 0-3 coming into game one.
-Sioux City won for the fifth time in 2025 against the Canaries at Sioux Falls Stadium.
-The Explorers were 1 for 2 in stolen bases.
-Kyle Marman retired 15 batters in a row from the second to the seventh inning.
-Marman has not allowed an earned run in 10.2 postseason innings.
-Marman has 46 strikeouts in his last 33.1 innings.
-Just two position players on the 2025 team played in the 2024 playoffs for the X’s. In total just just six players appeared in a game last postseason.
-The last Explorer to strike out at least 10 in a playoff game was Pete Tago who struck out 11 in 2019.
-Sioux City tossed their first playoff shutout since September 9, 2023 in a 2-0 win over Fargo-Moorhead at Lewis and Clark Park.
– Game two and game three (if necessary) are September 5 and 6.