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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2023
By: Austin Thomas
X’S LEAVE TEXAS WITH A WIN
WETHERBEE SHINES ON THE MOUND LLOYD DELIVERS AT THE PLATE
CLEBURNE, Texas – It was a nail-biting extra-inning game for the Sioux City Explorers (11-8) on Thursday night as they ended a four-game skid, defeating the Cleburne Railroaders (11-9) 6-5 in the 10 innings. The X’s rode a seven inning, one-run start from Jared Wetherbee along with a big night from Matt Lloyd to get their third win in the last ten games. They now sit alone in second place in the West Division.
Playing their second extra inning game of the series and their fourth in the last eight games Sioux City would take the upper hand in the top of the tenth. Jake Sanford started the inning at second base with the tie breaker rule in place with Joe Corbett on the mound for Cleburne. Kyle Kasser led off with an infield single before Lloyd stepped up to the plate with one out. Lloyd, the hottest bat in the American Association, belted his second home run of the game over the left field wall to make it a 6-3 ball game.
The X’s would dodge a final challenge from Cleburne in the bottom of the tenth. With Alex Jackson at second to start the inning for Cleburne, Zach Nehrir would single to put runners at first and third off Sean Rackoski. The X’s closer would hit Jose Curpa with a pitch to load the bases. Hill Alexander would line out to first base for the first out of the inning. Rackoski would strike out Brian Klein for out number two. Cleburne would cut the deficit to one run when Mark Karaviotis delivered a two RBI single. Sioux City then brought in Brandon Brosher, who would retire Guillermo Quintana on a fly to center to preserve the win.
The game started with Sioux City gaining an early lead as Daniel Perez knocked an RBI single off Cleburne starter Travis Perry, scoring Matt Lloyd. Jared Wetherbee issued a leadoff walk, but he settled in for the X’s, retiring the next three in order to end the first inning with a lead, 1-0.
The game got fun in the fourth inning as Jack Kelly hit an RBI single off Perry to make it 2-0, but the Railroaders responded with a blast from Hill Alexander in the bottom half of the inning. The reigning batter of the week Matt Lloyd followed, crushing his own home run in the fifth, extending the X’s lead 3-1.
Cleburne got rolling again against the X’s bullpen as Delino DeShields started off the eighth inning with a leadoff homer to cut into the deficit and make it 3-2 off lefty Carlos Diaz. The X’s then went down one-two-three in the top of the ninth as they turned to Rackoski to finish the game. Cleburne loaded the bases to set up a DeShields sac fly that tied it 3-3 and sent the game into extras.
The X’s return home to begin a three-game series against the Kane County Cougars Friday, June 2, at Mercy Field at Lewis and Clark Park. Tickets for the season can be purchased online at XSBaseball.com, in person at the Lewis and Clark Park Box Office or by calling 712-277-WINS. You can catch all the X’s action on aabaseball.tv and on radio at KSCJ 94.9 FM and 1360 AM.