SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2023
By: Dan Vaughan Jr. and Austin Thomas
X’S WALK OFF THE DOCKHOUNDS
SIOUX CITY FINISHES HOME 5-1
SIOUX CITY, IA – The Sioux City Explorers (5-1) and Lake Country Dockhounds (1-4) squared off in a classic pitcher’s duel, but it was an extra inning one-out single off the bat of Jake Sanford scoring Daniel Perez from second that would help the X’s edge past the Dockhounds 2-1.
Playing the extra inning rules that starts a runner at second for the first time this season, Sioux City reliever Sean Rackoski retired Lake Country in order to set up the heroics for Sioux City. It was the second walk-off win of the opening homestand that saw the X’s go 5-1 in the first six games.
The game began with a bang for the Dockhounds, who took an early lead in the first inning with a two-out Demetrius Sims homer off Solomon Bates. The X’s were held in check by ‘Hounds starter Mike Shawaryn in the bottom of the inning as they failed to get a runner on base. The next few innings proved to be a pitchers’ duel, with neither team scoring until the fifth. Shawaryn carried a perfect game into the fifth with Bates putting nine batters up, nine down between the third and fifth.
The X’s starter allowed only six baserunners throughout the game, striking out 11 through seven innings to pace the Explorer. The right-hander has recorded 17 strikeouts in his first 12 innings of the season.
The X’s finally got runners on base in the fifth to help them score their first run, with Matt Lloyd taking a one-out walk before Eury Pérez knocked him in with an RBI double. The game remained knotted after six innings. Lake Country stranded Pat DeMarco on second following his one-out double, and Sioux City couldn’t follow up Kyle Kasser’s one-out walk. Bates allowed a single to former X Blake Tiberi, but he struck out the other three batters. JJ Santa Cruz came in for Shawaryn and hit the leadoff batter Miguel Sierra, but he found his footing and dealt with the rest.
The eighth inning saw both teams make moves to the bullpen, with the X’s turning to set-up man Nate Gercken, who pitched a perfect eighth inning. Jake Sanford led off the bottom of the eighth with a single but was caught stealing before he could do damage. Sean Rackoski followed up Gercken with his own perfect inning to give the X’s a walk-off chance, but Sioux City left Vince Fernandez stranded at third to send the game to extras. The X’s would not waste their extra inning chance with the Sanford RBI winner.
The Explorers pack their bags for their first road trip of the season beginning Friday night at Northwest Medicine Field in Geneva, Illinois when they open up a three-game series with the Kane County Cougars. 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.