SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2025
By John Colavita
SIOUX CITY OUTDUELS KANE COUNTY IN WIN
X’S PITCHING HEATS UP A COLD NIGHT
GENEVA, IL –The Sioux City Explorers (1-0) came into Kane County and downed the defending champion Cougars (0-1) on Thursday Night for Opening Day by a final score of 2-1. The X’s bats were not electric by any means, but the little offense they generated did the trick for the first victory of the 2025 season.
The 26-year-old right-hander Konnor Ash got the start for Kane County. The former Philadelphia Phillies farmhand was outstanding through the first part of the game. He fanned six batters through three frames and seven through four.
His only mistake came in the top of the fifth inning when Torin Montgomery sent a 2-1 pitch over the left field wall to give Sioux City its first lead of the season. The Explorers mustered just three hits through the first seven innings (Dario Gomez and Abdiel Layer), but they didn’t really need much offense to grab their first win.
The reason the offense took a back seat was the work of closer turned starter Kyle Marman. The righty made his first start since his junior year of college at Florida Atlantic in 2018 and he was absolutely brilliant. He tossed seven plus innings and struck out 11 batters, a new professional career high for the 28-year-old from Orlando.
Marman was pulled in the eighth inning after a leadoff walk. It was then when X’s manager Steve Montgomery decided to go to his bullpen and brought out the Dominican righty, Felix Cepeda (0-1).
With second and third and just one out, the Explorers clinged to a one-run lead. Cepeda struck out Hayden Dunhurst for the second out, but a wild pitch a batter later allowed Josh Allen to score and tie the game.
Cepeda struck out Galli Cribbs Jr, but the damage was done. The X’s and the Cougars headed into the ninth inning tied at one a piece, and the bullpens would decide the fate of this game.
In the top of the ninth, Kane County reliever Tyler Beardsley (0-1) and former Explorer walked the bases loaded with just one out. Abdiel Layer came to the plate and hit a sacrifice fly deep right field bringing home Austin Davis to retake the lead 2-1.
With two outs in the ninth inning, Cepeda walked the tying run and then Todd Lott smacked a single up the middle to break up the no hitter. Jeremy Goins relieved Cepeda and faced Josh Allen, the man selected as the league’s best player heading into the season only hours before the game. Allen worked the count full, but Goins struck him out, and the first win of the season was in the books. The Sioux City Explorers have now won seven of their last eight opening-day games.
The Explorers play game two of a three-game series Friday night against the Kane County Cougars at Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva, Illinois. The first pitch is slated for a 6:30 p.m. with the game airing on radio on KSCJ and streaming via video online at aabaseball.tv.
Following the seven-game road trip, the club will come home to celebrate opening night at Lewis and Clark Park Friday night, May 16 at 7:05 p.m., against the Kansas City Monarchs. Ticket packages for the 2025 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. The official podcast of the Explorers can be found online.
TUNE INTO ALL THE EXPLORERS ACTION ON KSCJ AND AABASEBALL.TV