FARGO, N.D. – The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (14-8) walked off the Sioux City Explorers (8-14) Tuesday night, winning 6-5. It was a home run from Fargo’s CJ Valdez at the end that proved the difference between the teams. Sioux City’s Scott Ota went 2-3 with two runs, three RBIs, a double and a homer, but his efforts weren’t enough to get the X’s the win.
The RedHawks got on the board first with an RBI in the bottom of the first from Fargo’s Ismael Alcantara off Sioux City starter Austin Drury, scoring Evan Alexander and giving the Hawks a 1-0 lead.
After a scoreless second, the X’s fired back with a two-run bomb from Sioux City’s Scott Ota in the top of the third off Fargo starter Colten Davis, sending around Daniel Lingua and making it 2-1 Explorers.
Following the first inning run, Drury retired 10 straight batters between the first and fourth innings to keep it 2-1. In the bottom of the fifth, Fargo’s Sam Dexter broke that streak with a double, and Chase McDaniel tied it up 2-2 by plating Dexter with an RBI double the next at-bat. Later in the inning, Fargo’s Alexander took the lead 4-2 for the RedHawks with a two-RBI double off Sioux City’s Drury, sending around CJ Valdez and McDaniel.
In the top of the sixth, the X’s were held scoreless again, and in the bottom of the frame, the RedHawks expanded the lead. With Fargo’s Alcantara on third base, Sam Dexter hit an RBI sac fly to center field off Sioux City’s Drury, growing the advantage to 5-2.
After another scoreless frame for the Explorers, Sioux City’s Kade Mechals relieved Drury in the bottom of the seventh, retiring the RedHawks without trouble.
Fargo’s Garrett Alexander relieved Colten Davis to start the eighth, and the X’s cut into the deficit when Sioux City’s Ota picked up another RBI on a double, pushing across Lingua and making it 5-3. Sioux City’s Osvaldo Martinez sent home Daniel Montano after that and made it a one run game. The Explorers knotted the game at 5-5 the next plate appearance when Sioux City’s Nick Shumpert scored Ota an RBI sac fly to left field.
In the top of the ninth with Sioux City’s Zac Vooletich on third base, Daniel Montano nearly hit a grounder into the gap between first and second, but a sliding stop and throw from the knees by Fargo first baseman Dillon Thomas retired Montano for out number three.
That defensive play proved prominent in the bottom of the ninth when Fargo’s Valdez came up big with a leadoff walk-off homer off Sioux City’s Brandon Brosher (1-3) to give the RedHawks the win.
The Explorers play game two of a three game series Wednesday night against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at Newman Outdoor Field in Fargo. Game time is set for 7:02 p.m.
