SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Sioux City Explorers (24-26) defeated the Milwaukee Milkmen (27-25) 15-6 and the rain Sunday at Lewis and Clark Park. The X’s led the game 5-1 into the home half of the fourth inning when the skies opened up, sending the game into a three-hour and fifteen minute rain delay.
The Explorers took an early lead in the bottom of the first when Sioux City’s John Nogowski picked up an RBI single off Milwaukee starter Greg Minier (2-6), sending home leadoff man Daniel Lingua and giving the X’s a 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second, the X’s added again thanks to Sioux City’s Cam Cannon ripping his third home run in two games, leading off the frame and making it 2-0.
After three scoreless innings from Sioux City’s Jaren Jackson, the Milkmen tagged him for his first run in the top of the fourth when Milwaukee’s Jose Sermo collected an RBI single, sending home Wendell Marrero and cutting the X’s lead to 2-1.
The X’s responded in the bottom of the fourth as Sioux City’s Scott Ota smacked a two-RBI triple to left-center off Milwaukee’s Minier, driving in Zac Vooletich and Daniel Lingua and making it 4-1. The Explorers added one more before the delay when Sioux City’s Ota came home on an RBI fielder’s choice from Daniel Montano, extending the lead to 5-1.
The delay came with runners on first and second, and after three hours and 15 minutes, the game resumed with Milwaukee’s Ben Gerl taking Greg Minier’s spot on the mound. From there, the offense continued rolling for the Explorers with Cannon picking up an RBI on a fielder’s choice, extending the lead to 6-1.
In the top of the fifth, Jaren Jackson came out of the game for the Explorers, and the Milkmen showed some signs of life. They picked up three runs, starting with an RBI fielder’s choice from Milwaukee’s Trey Law off Sioux City reliever Pedro Gonzalez(1-0) before Oscar Santos came home on a double play, cutting it to a 6-3 game. The X’s lead shrunk to 6-4 after Milwaukee’s Sermo drove in Reggie Pruitt Jr., but the Explorers remained in the lead at the end of the frame.
In the bottom of the fifth, the X’s started to put the game away with another four spot beginning with Sioux City’s Montano sending an RBI single to right field and making it 7-4. The next at-bat, Sioux City’s Martinez picked up his own RBI single, sending home Ota and Nogowski and extending the advantage to 9-4. Sioux City’s Cannon kept the hits coming as he singled to left field off Milwaukee’s Gerl, sending home Montano and making it 10-4.
The Milkmen cut a run back in the top of the sixth when Milwaukee’s Abdiel Layer knocked an RBI single to right field off Sioux City’s Gonzalez, sending home Chase Estep and making it 10-5.
The X’s seemingly finished off the Milkmen in the bottom of the sixth when Sioux City’s John Nogowski ripped a two-RBI double to left field, making it 12-5 X’s.
The Milkmen then turned to position player Erik Ostberg to finish the game on the mound, and the X’s added three more runs while the Milkmen added just one on a home run from Milwaukee’s Chase Estep, finishing the game 15-6 for the Explorers win.
The Explorers will begin a six-game road trip Monday night July 8 with game one of a three-game series against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at Newman Outdoor Field in Fargo, North Dakota. The first pitch is set for 7:02 p.m.
