ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Sioux City Explorers couldn’t keep their win streak alive as they fell to the Chicago Dogs 2-0 Friday night. It was their first away game of the season, and while the pitching, anchored by starter Antonio Velez (0-1) was strong, it didn’t match up to the gem twirled by Chicago starter Steven Lacey (1-0).The game started as a pitchers’ duel with Sioux City’s Velez and Chicago’s starter Lacey each dealing shutouts through the first five innings. Over that stretch, Velez had three perfect frames while Lacey had two.
While the Dogs’ Lacey completed a scoreless top of the sixth, in the bottom of the frame, Chicago’s Brantley Bell reached on a single before Narciso Crook launched a two-run shot over the center field wall off Sioux City’s Velez, breaking the tie and giving the Dogs a 2-0 lead.
Explorers’ starter Velez was relieved in the bottom of the seventh, finishing the game with 6.2 innings of two-run ball. Nate Gercken came in and continued where Velez left off, finishing the shutout inning.
After completing seven scoreless innings, Chicago’s Steven Lacey was relieved by Cal Coughlin, who kept the shutout rolling along with no runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Sioux City’s Gercken had a three-up, three down inning to bring up the X’s batters with a two-run deficit. Joey Marciano checked into the game for the Dogs to close it down, and while Explorers’ Scott Ota drew a one-out walk, Marciano retired the others to earn the save (2).
The Explorers continue their first road trip of the season with game two of a three game series against the Chicago Dogs Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. from Impact Field in Rosemont, Illinois.
