SIOUX CITY, Iowa –The Milwaukee Milkmen (27-23) claimed the first game of the series against the Sioux City Explorers (22-26) Friday night, taking the high-scoring affair 17-9. Sioux City’s Osvaldo Martinez went 3-5 with four RBI, and while Joey Murray pitched five innings, it wasn’t enough to fuel the X’s to a victory.
The game started with Milwaukee scoring three runs in the top of the first, starting with a two-run shot from Milwaukee’s Jose Sermo off Sioux City starter Joey Murray, plating Wendell Marrero and giving the Milkmen a 2-0 lead. The Milkmen scored their third run with another homer in the frame when Jaylin Davis ripped his own home run off Murray, extending the advantage to 3-0.
The Explorers responded in the bottom of the second with Sioux City’s Martinez ripping a three-RBI double to right field off Milwaukee starter Ryley Widell, clearing the bases of Scott Ota, John Nogowski and Daniel Montano, knotting it 3-3.
Milwaukee’s Oscar Santos led off the top of the second with a bang for the Milkmen, sending a solo shot over the wall off Sioux City’s Murray, giving the lead back to the Milk 4-3.
The offense kept rolling for the Milkmen in the top of the third, making it 6-3 with a two-RBI double from Milwaukee’s Abdiel Layer before Reggie Pruitt Jr. extended the lead to 8-3 with a two-RBI single off Sioux City’s Murray.
The X’s battled back for two runs in the bottom of the third thanks to Sioux City’s Chase Harris collecting a two-RBI single off Milwaukee’s Widell, sending home Nogowski and Martinez and making it 8-5.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Explorers’ rally continued with Sioux City’s Martinez picking up another RBI on a single to right off Milwaukee’s Ben Gerl, driving in Nogowski and cutting the deficit to 8-6. Later in the frame, Sioux City’s Cameron Cannon sent one off the wall in left field with the bases loaded, sending Montano and Martinez home and tying the game 8-8.
Despite the comeback, the Milkmen continued to showcase their offense with Milwaukee’s Erik Ostberg knocking an RBI double off Sioux City reliever Rayne Supple (1-1), reclaiming the lead 9-8. Later in the sixth, Milwaukee’s Layer cleared the bases with a two-RBI single off Sioux City reliever Santiago Florez while Jaylin Davis raced home on a fielding error from Sioux City right fielder Scott Ota, making it 12-8. The Milkmen added a fifth run in the sixth with Milwaukee’s Oscar Santos sending an RBI single to left field, plating Layer and extending the Milkmen lead to 13-8.
The X’s got a run back in the bottom of the sixth when Sioux City’s Montano hit an RBI single to center field off Milwaukee reliever Alexis Rivero (1-0), sending home Nick Shumpert and cutting the lead back to 13-9.
The Milkmen earned that run back in the top of the seventh inning when Milwaukee’s Jaylin Davis launched a two-out triple to center field off Sioux City’s Florez, waving around Erik Ostberg and making it 14-9.
Brandon Brosher pitched a scoreless eighth for the X’s, but in the top of the ninth, the Milkmen added another run on a Jaylin Davis RBI double to left off Sioux City’s Nate Gercken, making it 15-9. The next at-bat, Milwaukee’s Chase Estep picked up two RBI with a single to left off Gercken, extending the Milkmen advantage to 17-9.
Milwaukee’s Jordan Johnson came in for the ninth with the lead and despite a two-out single from Sioux City’s Cannon, the X’s couldn’t score and ultimately fell to the high-powered Milkmen offense.
The Explorers will play game two of a three-game series with the Milwaukee Milkmen Saturday night July 6 with a first pitch set for 6:05 p.m.
