SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Sioux City Explorers (13-15) ran their win streak to four games with a series-opening victory over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (18-10) Tuesday night by a score of 4-3. Sioux City’s Dwight Childs hit the game-winner for the Explorers while Sioux City’s John Sheaks pitched well before Kade Mechals (1-0) and Kyle Marman took over from the bullpen.
The X’s took an early lead in the bottom of the second when Sioux City’s Osvaldo Martinez took three bases on separate wild pitches from Fargo’s Colten Davis, scoring and giving the Explorers a 1-0 lead.
The RedHawks bit back in the top of the third with an RBI double from Fargo’s Evan Alexander off Sioux City’s Sheaks, plating Sam Dexter and knotting it 1-1.
Momentum continued for the RedHawks in the top of the fourth, taking the lead 2-1 on a Kona Quiggle RBI double, allowing CJ Valdez to cross.
The X’s kept the excitement up in front of a season-high crowd when Sioux City’s Scott Ota tied it up again on a sac fly to left field off Fargo’s Davis, sending home Daniel Lingua and making it 2-2.
A response came from the RedHawks immediately after with a Dillon Thomas RBI single off Sioux City’s Kade Mechals in the top of the seventh, waving around Dexter and giving the lead back to Fargo 3-2.
In the bottom of the seventh, the X’s came right back with their own RBI single on Chase Harris’ opposite field hit off Fargo’s Jake Dykhoff (0-1), sending home Daniel Montano and knotting it 3-3. Later in the frame, Dwight Childs stepped up to the plate with two outs, ripping an RBI single off the left field wall and giving the Explorers a 4-3 lead as Chase Harris crossed home.
Sioux City’s Mechals pitched a perfect eighth inning to keep the lead, and Marman relieved him in the ninth, finishing off the RedHawks one-two-three to earn the save (3).
The Explorers will play game two of a three game series against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks Wednesday night June 12 with a first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.
