SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2023
By: Dan Vaughan Jr. and Austin Thomas
LAKE COUNTRY BATS OVERPOWER SIOUX CITY
SIOUX CITY, IA – The Sioux City Explorers (4-1) lost their first game of the season 14-6 Wednesday night against the Lake Country Dockhounds (1-3). The Dockhounds scored in each of the first five innings to pick up their first win of the season. The X’s couldn’t figure out how to stop the top of their lineup, allowing eight hits, three walks and ten runs between the first three spots in the order.
The Dockhounds began the game hot, having three runners cross the plate in the top of the first inning. Lake Country starter Nick Herold threw a perfect first inning to keep the momentum in the Dockhounds favor. The second and third innings went much the same way, with the Dockhounds continuing to hit well and blanking the X’s offense. Pat DeMarco sent a two-run home run over the left field wall off of Sioux City starter Jesus Valles (0-1) in the second inning, and the ‘Hounds got two more runs off a deep shot from Thomas Jones in the third off reliever Heitor Tokar to extend the lead 8-0.
The visitors picked up two more runs in the top of the fourth to make it a 10-0 game before the X’s got their offense going. Jake Sanford hit a sac fly with the bases loaded to send home Daniel Perez for Sioux City’s first run of the night. Chase Harris followed with an RBI single to cut the lead to eight and send home Matt Lloyd.
Lake Country grabbed the momentum right back, scoring unearned runs in the fifth off a dropped fly ball in right field by Jake Sanford off the bat of Aaron Simmons to make it a 13-2 game. The X’s started to show some fight in the bottom of the inning with Vince Fernandez hitting a sac fly to follow up Jake Sanford’s triple. The X’s then blanked the Dockhounds for the first time in the game in the top of the sixth before posting three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Matt Lloyd hit an opposite-field home run to lead off the inning for Sioux City. Sanford then hit an RBI single, and Kyle Kasser pushed Sanford across the plate with a sac fly, cutting the lead to 13-6. That was as close as the Explorers would get in game.
The Explorers and Dockhounds continue their series Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. at Mercy Field at Lewis and Clark Park. It is Thirsty Thursday at the ballpark with a $1 on any select canned beer or select Pepsi canned soda presented by Pub 52! 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.