KANSAS CITY, Kan. –The Sioux City Explorers (35-41) couldn’t come up with a series win Wednesday night, falling 8-0 to the Kansas City Monarchs (38-38). Kansas City saw a phenomenal start from Matt Hall (1-1) who went six innings only allowing two hits while the Monarchs put up five runs in the first and went on cruise control.
The Monarchs took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Kansas City’s Travis Swaggerty picked up an RBI single off Sioux City starter Jaren Jackson (2-4) with the bases loaded. Jackson then threw a wild pitch, and Kansas City’s Frankie Tostado raced home, extending the Monarchs’ lead to 2-0. Kansas City’s Josh Bissonette followed with a two-RBI single, clearing the bases of runners and making it 4-0. That was succeeded by another RBI single later in the frame as Kansas City’s Abiatal Avelino sent home Herbert Iser, bringing the score to 5-0.
The teams then traded scoreless innings until Sioux City turned to Braunny Munoz to begin the bottom of the fifth. The Monarchs then added to their lead when Kansas City’s Lorenzo Cedrola hit a sacrifice, extending their lead to 6-0. Kansas City’s Isiah Gilliam followed with an RBI double, making it a 7-0 game.
Kansas City’s Swaggerty kept the offense going with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh, bringing the score to 8-0.
From there, neither team scored as Kansas City’s Nate Tellier went two scoreless innings before Jeff Hakanson finished the combined shutout in the ninth.
The Explorers will return home for an off day on Thursday August 8 before beginning a three-game weekend series with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks Friday August 9.
