X’s WALK IT OFF TO OPEN SERIES
Sebastian Zawada Provides Extra Inning Heroics
Sioux City, IA (June 18, 2021) – It took ten innings but the Sioux City Explorers have their first walk off win of the 2021 season as Sebastian Zawada’s base hit beat the Lincoln Saltdogs 3-2.
Sioux City got the scoring started in the bottom of the first as LT Tolbert led off the frame with a double and scored on a Jose Sermo base hit to give Sioux City a 1-0 lead. Despite the X’s having won the previous three meetings with the Saltdogs this year, this was the first time that the Explorers scored first in the season series.
The X’s held the lead until the fifth thanks to a good start from Brett Adcock. Adcock would take the no decision as he worked 5.2 innings allowing two runs, one earned on five hits with four punch outs and three walks.
Lincoln scored their two runs of the ballgame in the fifth as with a runner at first an error on what should have been a double play instead allowed runners to advance to second and third. A Skylar Weber single tied the game at one and a Gunnar Buhner bunt single gave Lincoln a brief 2-1 lead.
Sioux City responded right away in the bottom of the fifth. With the bases loaded and two out, A Kyle Kinman wild pitch scored Joseph Monge from third to tie the ball game 2-2.
Kinman also was saddled with a no decision as he gave up two earned runs in six innings of work, surrendering four hits while striking out five and walking four.
Sioux City’s bullpen was once again stout Max Kuhns provided two innings of scoreless relief with three punch outs and Nate Gercken (1-0) earned the win as he tossed 2.1 innings of shutout baseball with a strikeout.
Jason Seever (0-1) was handed the loss as the lefty walked Jose Sermo to open up the tenth. Sermo tagged up to second on a deep fly ball to center field. After a strikeout, Sebastian Zawada rifled a ball into the left-center gap to score Sermo from second and win the game for Sioux City 3-2.
The X’s and Saltdogs meet up again on Saturday with first pitch at 6:05 as Zach Hedges (3-1, 4.31) gets the ball for Sioux City and he will be opposed by Keenan Bartlett (1-0, 3.04).