SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Sioux City Explorers (7-11) fell in the series finale 7-2 to the Milwaukee Milkmen (10-8) Thursday night. The Milkmen took a 4-1 lead in the third inning and never looked back as the X’s couldn’t catch their offense.
The X’s opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Sioux City’s Chase Harris came around on a Scott Ota RBI single off Milwaukee starter Ryley Widell, giving the Explorers a 1-0 lead.
The Milkmen responded in the top of the second when Milwaukee’s Chase Estep tied it on an RBI ground-rule double off Sioux City starter John Sheaks (0-3) that sent home Erik Ostberg, evening the score 1-1. Milwaukee’s Wendell Marrero then ripped a bases-clearing triple to center field, plating Estep and Reggie Pruitt Jr. and giving the advantage to the Milk 3-1.
Milwaukee scored again in the top of the third when Milkmen third baseman Armani Smith hit a sacrifice fly off Sioux City’s Sheaks, putting Jaylin Davis across home and extending the lead to 4-1.
Neither team scored again until the bottom of the sixth when the Explorers Daniel Lingua helped cut the deficit with an RBI on a grounder off Milwaukee’s Nyan Hernandez that allowed Nick Shumpert to cross, making it 4-2 Milkmen.
In the top of the seventh, the Milk broke the game open. Milwaukee’s Davis scored on a throwing error by Sioux City second baseman Nick Shumpert on a grounder from Jose Sermo off Sioux City’s Heitor Tokar, adding to the Milwaukee lead, 5-2. Milwaukee’s Erik Ostberg followed with an RBI single, sending pinch-runner Brennen Dorighi home and making it 6-2. The Milkmen then tacked on one more run when Milwaukee’s Estep knocked home Ostberg on an RBI single off Sioux City reliever Kade Mechals, making it a 7-2 game.
Neither team scored again as Sioux City’s Zach Willeman threw two scoreless innings, and Milwaukee’s Jordan Johnson and Rodrigo Benoit combined for three shutout frames.
The Explorers will hit the road Friday night May 31 to begin a three game series against the Sioux Falls Canaries at Sioux Falls Stadium with a first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.
