SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Sioux City Explorers (8-11) blew out the Sioux Falls Canaries (11-7) Friday night 10-4. Seven Explorers collected multiple hits in the game as the offense kept rolling all night long.
After two scoreless innings, the X’s broke the deadlock on an RBI from Sioux City’s Scott Ota when he hit a grounder off Sioux Falls starter Mitchell Walters, allowing Daniel Lingua to score and giving the Explorers a 1-0 lead. Sioux City’s Osvaldo Martinez followed with his own RBI, slapping a single to left field, pushing home Daniel Montano and John Nogowski and making it 3-0 X’s.
The Canaries cut back into the Explorers lead in the bottom of the third, thanks to a two-run big fly from Sioux Falls’ Shamoy Christopher off Sioux City starter Jared Wetherbee with Liam Spence on base, making it a 3-2 game.
In the top of the fifth, Sioux City’s Daniel Perez helped the X’s build back with an RBI single off Sioux Falls’ Walters, plating Nogowski for the second time in the game and making it 4-2.
After Sioux City’s Jared Wetherbee had another scoreless frame, Nogowski picked up two RBIs for the X’s on a single off Sioux Falls reliever Bret Barnett that scored Zac Vooletich and Lingua, extending the lead to 6-2. Later in the sixth, Sioux City’s Martinez collected another RBI hit against his former team on a double to left that sent home Nogowski, growing the X’s lead to 7-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Canaries grabbed one back on an RBI grounder from Sioux Falls’ Hunter Clanin off Sioux City’s Nate Gercken that pushed around Josh Rehwaldt, making it 7-3 Explorers.
The X’s responded in the top of the seventh with another run on a sac fly from Daniel Montano off Sioux Falls’ Dylan Chalmers, allowing Nick Shumpert to score and making it 8-3 X’s.
The Canaries got that run back in the bottom of the seventh when Sioux Falls’ Rehwaldt grounded into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded that scored Wyatt Ulrich, cutting the Explorers’ lead to 8-4.
In the top of the eighth, the X’s Ota ripped a dinger to right field off Sioux Falls’ Chalmers, expanding the advantage for the Explorers to 9-4. Later in the half, Sioux City’s Shumpert followed suit with his own homer, making it 10-4 X’s.
Sioux City’s Jacob Gilliland finished the game for the Explorers going one-two-three in the ninth to cage the Canaries.
The Explorers will play game two of the three game series against the Sioux Falls Canaries Saturday night at Sioux Falls Stadium with a first pitch set for 6:05 p.m.
