SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Sioux City Explorers (14-16) completed an epic comeback in the ninth inning to win 10-9 over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (19-11) Thursday night. The X’s kept it close most of the game, but Fargo pulled ahead in the eighth before the Explorers six run ninth brought them all the way back.
The game started with the X’s taking an early lead in the bottom of the first when Daniel Lingua crossed on a Scott Ota RBI sacrifice fly off Fargo’s Orlando Rodriguez, giving the Explorers a 1-0 lead.
After three scoreless innings from Sioux City starter Braunny Munoz, the game took a turn on its heel when a benches clearing fight broke out in the bottom of the third. Four ejections resulted from the incident, including Sioux City shortstop Nick Shumpert and center fielder Chase Harris along with Fargo pitcher Orlando Rodriguez and manager Chris Coste.
In the top of the fourth, the RedHawks rallied for three runs, starting with Fargo’s Peter Brookshaw scoring on a CJ Valdez RBI double off Sioux City’s Munoz, tying it 1-1. Fargo’s Kona Quiggle scored after that on a Sam Dexter RBI sac fly, and Valdez came home the next at-bat with a Parker Stroh RBI single, making it a 3-1 RedHawks lead.
The X’s cut a run back in the bottom of the fifth when Osvaldo Martinez hit an RBI single off Fargo’s Jake Osowski, plating John Nogowski and making it a 3-2 ball game.
The RedHawks built a strong lead in the top of the sixth, scoring Fargo’s Valdez and Dexter on a two-RBI single from Ismael Alcantara, but the X’s got the runs back in the bottom of the frame with a sac fly from Sioux City’s Vooletich and an RBI walk from Daniel Montano, making it a 5-4 RedHawks lead.
After a shutout seventh, the Hawks ripped the game open in the top of the eighth. It started with Fargo’s Valdez scoring his third run of the game on an Ismael Alcantara RBI single off Sioux City’s Kade Mechals, making it a 6-4 Fargo lead. The next plate appearance, Dillon Thomas sent his own RBI single into center field, scoring Parker Stroh and extending the lead to 7-4. After that, Fargo’s Alcantara came home to score on a throwing error from Sioux City catcher Dwight Childs and then Thomas touched the plate on a wild pitch, making it a 9-4 game.
The X’s were again held scoreless in the bottom of the eighth, but in the ninth inning, they loaded the bases with one out on Fargo reliever Noah McBride before Alex Dubord relieved him. Jake Ortega started the X’s rally with an RBI single to right field, pushing home Daniel Montano to cut it to a 9-5 game. Sioux City’s Childs came home on a wild pitch and Daniel Perez scored on an error from Fargo shortstop Sam Dexter after that, making it 9-7. Sioux City’s Vooletich pulled a walk to load the bases the next plate appearance before Scott Ota knotted it up 9-9 with a two-RBI single off DuBord, plating Daniel Lingua and Ortega. With one out and runners on third and second, Sioux City’s John Nogowski delivered the walk-off hit on a single that just got under the glove of Fargo left fielder Evan Alexander, sending home Vooletich to claim the series.
The Explorers hit the road to begin a six-game road trip beginning with game one of a three game series against the Winnipeg Goldeyes Friday night June 14 with a first pitch set for 7:00 p.m.
