SIOUX CITY, Iowa – It was another heartbreaking loss for the Sioux City Explorers (36-43) Sunday evening as the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (44-37) claimed a 2-1 series-clinching victory. Sioux City’s Austin Drury set a season-high for the X’s with 7.2 innings pitched while tying the season-high with nine strikeouts, but the Explorers couldn’t get the offense to back him.
The game began a true pitchers’ duel as Sioux City starter Austin Drury and Fargo starter Orlando Rodriguez traded three straight scoreless innings, but Sioux City’s John Nogowski broke the deadlock with a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth, giving the X’s a 1-0 lead.
The two continued to pitch phenomenally from there, with the next run not coming until the eighth inning when Fargo’s Juan Fernandez knotted it up 1-1 with his own solo shot off Sioux City’s Drury. The X’s then moved to the bullpen, ending Drury’s night with 7.2 innings of one-run ball while allowing just four hits with nine strikeouts.
Sioux City’s Zach Willeman (2-2) relieved Drury and got out of the eighth without any further damage, but in the top of the ninth, the RedHawks took a 2-1 lead off Willeman after a throwing error from Sioux City catcher Jake Green sent home Fargo’s Ismael Alcanatara.
In the bottom of the ninth, Sioux City put a runner on third with one out, but Fargo’s Jake Dykhoff (5-3) worked out of the inning and completed the game.
The Explorers will be off Monday August 12 before welcoming the Kane County Cougars for a three game series beginning Tuesday night August 13 at 7:05 p.m.
