Sioux City, IA – The Sioux City Explorers improved to 11-15 after taking down the Lake Country Dockhounds (10-17) by a score of 2-1 Saturday on their annual Strike Out Cancer Night. It was a true pitcher’s duel as Lake Country’s Duncan Snider (2-2) went 5.2 innings, allowing just two runs while Sioux City’s Joey Murray (2-2) pitched 7.1 innings with just one run.
The X’s scored early when Sioux City’s John Nogowski ripped a two-RBI double off Lake Country’s Snider in the bottom of the first, sending home Daniel Lingua and Nick Shumpert and giving the X’s a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the second, the DockHounds threatened to score when Lake Country’s Justin Connell sent a double to left field, but Sioux City’s Murray navigated the trouble without allowing a run.
Neither team had a runner reach second until the top of the sixth when the DockHounds threatened again. Lake Country’s Carson Maxwell drew a leadoff walk from Sioux City’s Murray and stole second before taking third base on a wild pitch. With nobody out, Blake Tiberi sent a fly ball to left field in hopes of a sac fly, but Sioux City’s Zac Vooletich nailed Maxwell at home to keep the X’s up 2-0.
The DockHounds spelled danger yet again in the top of the eighth, but this time tacked a run on the board when Lake Country’s Maxwell cracked an RBI double down the left field line off Sioux City’s Marman, plating Justin Lavey and making it 2-1.
With the score separated by one in the ninth, Marman returned to the mound for the X’s, and despite allowing two runners on, he struck out Lake Country’s Marek Chlup to finish the game and pick up the save (2).
The Explorers will play the final game of the three game series with the Lake Country DockHounds Sunday evening at 4:05 p.m.
