SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 5, 2025
By John Colavita
SIOUX CITY SURVIVES WILD BACK-AND-FORTH TO STUN MILWAUKEE
X’S CURDLE THE MILKMEN IN 11-INNING MARATHON
SIOUX CITY, Iowa—In a game that twisted and turned through 11 innings, the Sioux City Explorers (49-28) emerged with a dramatic 10-9 walk-off win over the Milwaukee Milkmen (30-45). What began as another uphill climb ended in euphoria at Lewis and Clark Park, where the X’s once again found a way.
Still reeling after their first series loss since June, the Explorers once again trailed in the opening inning. Even with the American Association’s July Pitcher of the Month, Angel Macuare, on the mound, the Milkmen put two aboard with one out for their biggest bat, Erik Ostberg. The catcher lifted a 1-2 pitch to straightaway left that was plenty deep enough for Delvin Perez to tag and come home.
The Explorers fought back and snagged the lead from Milwaukee in the bottom half of the frame with a two-out rally. Zac Vooletich doubled down the line, and the league’s reigning batter of the week, D’Shawn Knowles, singled him to third. He stole second on the next pitch to move the go-ahead run into scoring position.
Josh Day stepped up next and battled Milkmen starter Davis Welch. He got the green light on 3-1 and sent a bouncer past Chase Estep down the third base line. Vooletich and Knowles scored easily as the X’s took the lead. Sioux City tacked on two more in the second to lead 4-1 after two action-packed frames.
Early on, it seemed the innings would stall unless the other team managed to scratch across at least one. Milwaukee cut into the lead in the top of the third inning, however. Macuare walked Mitchell Sanford to start the frame, and Chase Estep singled him home two batters later.
Flash forward to the top of the sixth inning. With the Explorers leading 6-3 and seemingly in cruise control, Nate Gercken relieved Macuare and walked two hitters before surrendering a sacrifice fly as Milwaukee inched closer.
Steve Montgomery went back to his bullpen and brought in Chase Jessee, his left-handed setup man, in the sixth inning. Jessee walked six of his first seven batters, handing the Milkmen a 7-6 win without recording a hit in the frame. At one point, Jessee delivered 11 consecutive balls.
The real eye-opener of the night for the Milkmen was the bullpen. Terry Busse, Tahnaj Thomas, Brady Puckett and Matt Givin each fired a scoreless inning, striking out six and walking one.
Jordan Johnson took over in the bottom of the ninth inning and promptly plunked Henry George to open the final frame of regulation. He then moved to second on a fielder’s choice, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on D’Shawn Knowles’s third hit of the game.
Knowles navigated his way to third base, and with two outs and his team’s back against the wall, Abdiel Layer blooped an RBI single into left-center field to tie the ballgame at eight apiece.
Layer eventually headed to third in the frame, bringing up the new acquisition, Nathan Rose. The former Tulane Green Wave drove one well into the gap in left-center field, but Joe Gray tracked it down, making a spectacular diving catch to send the game into extras.
Felix Cepeda (5-2) took over on the mound in the tenth and allowed the zombie runner to score as Milwaukee once again snagged the lead on Zach Stroh’s RBI single.
Blake Purnell (1-5) emerged from the bullpen in the bottom of the tenth with Rose getting a head start at second base. Barns sacrificed the runner to third, allowing Austin Davis the chance to even the contest.
The infield came in and made the Milkmen pay. Davis hammered a single over the shortstop Perez into left, tying the game once again. The speedster stole second and moved to third later in the inning, but Vooletich stranded him, sending the game to the 11th.
Cepeda stayed on for a second extra frame and retired the side in order.
Vooletich took his place at second in the bottom of the 11th. Knowles attempted to sacrifice the winning run to third, but he did much more. The throw sailed down the right-field line, Vooletich scored, and X’s walked it off at Lewis and Clark Park for the 10th time in 2025.
The Explorers will face the Milwaukee Milkmen in game two of the three game series Wednesday night August 6 at Lewis and Clark Park. The first pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. 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. Tickets for all Explorers home games are available at the ticket office or going 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:
-The X’s have a league best 49-27 record.
-This is the only series meeting of the two teams. All-time Sioux City is 18-17 against Milwaukee.
-Landen Barns had a three-hit night and recorded his first hit of the season in the game.
-Jeremy Goins had a big 1-2-3 inning.
-The Explorers have played 12 league leading extra-inning games and are 8-4 in extras.
-Sioux City is 10-3 on Tuesdays.
-The X’s are 18-7 in one run games and are 30-13 in games decided by two runs or less.
-The staff walked 12 batters for the third time this season.
-The win was the 10th walk off win for Sioux City.