THE TRAVELLING X’s FALL IN SERIES OPENER
Sioux City With a Depleted Roster Falls to Winnipeg Across Border
Winnipeg, MB (August 3, 2021) – With only Michael Lang being the everyday regular Sioux City Explorer to make the trip to Winnipeg due to travel restrictions, the X’s ended up falling in the series opener to the Winnipeg Goldeyes in their home opener from Shaw Park 14-6.
Sioux City at one point actually held a lead in the game. In the top of the first it seemed like perhaps the X’s would maybe be able to pull off the upset. Lang started it off with a walk, and reached second on an error. He scored on a Jacob Bockelie base hit to put Sioux City up 1-0.
But the lead was short lived however as the Goldeyes offense would flex their muscles with three home runs. In the first it was Kyle Martin who drilled a three run home run over the right field wall. In the second it was a two run shot from Tyler Hill and a Max Murphy solo blast in the fourth gave Winnipeg a 6-1 lead.
Allowing the homers and taking the loss for Sioux City was Jonathan Vance (0-1) who limited the damage to only the home runs. He allowed six runs all earned on thirteen hits while walking only one and striking out two.
Winnipeg plated six in the fifth inning. As Sioux City walked the bases loaded. And RBI’s from Hill, Wes Darvill, Murphy and Martin along with a wild pitch give the Goldeyes a large 14-1 lead.
Taking the win for Winnipeg was rookie Landen Bourassa (1-0) who went six innings deep allowing three runs, but none earned, on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
Sioux City didn’t just go away though. On back to back throwing errors from Darvil in the sixth they were able to score twice. And perhaps the highlight of the night for the Explorers came in the eighth when Carson McCurdy smashed a no doubt two run home run over the right field fence.
Even in the ninth, the X’s didn’t roll over as a Dustin Asham RBI single plated a run to give the game it’s final score of 14-6.
Even despite the depleted roster and minimum resources defensively Sioux City did not commit an error while also turning a pair of double plays, compared to the three errors committed by Winnipeg in the game.
The X’s and Goldeyes will meet up for game two of the series on Wednesday night with first pitch set for 6:35 pm. Dylan Burns (0-1, 3.52) will be on the bump for the Goldeyes and Marc-Andre Habeck (0-0 0.00) will get the ball for Sioux City.