Explorers Hold Off Goldeyes in Series Finale
Photo Credit: Tim Tushla/Sioux City Explorers
SIOUX CITY, IA – The Sioux City Explorers (17-20) defeated the Winnipeg Goldeyes 9-7 at Lewis & Clark Park Thursday evening, taking the rubber match of a three-game series.
Sioux City jumped out to a 4-0 first-inning lead. Designated hitter Braulio Vásquez opened the scoring with a base hit to right field that drove in centre fielder Austin Davis and third baseman Zac Vooletich. Right fielder D’Shawn Knowles then hit a sacrifice fly to centre that brought left fielder Henry George in to score, before Vásquez crossed the plate on a fielder’s choice off the bat of second baseman Jackson Van De Brake.
Winnipeg (16-21) evened the score in the top of the fourth. Centre fielder Noah Marcelo tripled to right field to lead off the frame. He would come home on second baseman Adam Hall’s double to left. Right fielder Max Murphy singled to centre to bring Hall in, and catcher Kevin García drove in Murphy and designated hitter Jiandido Tromp with a base hit up the middle.
The Explorers wasted no time retaking the lead, however. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Vooletich scored on George’s double to right field that made it 5-4.
Sioux City increased its lead to two runs in the sixth when first baseman Alberto Osuna doubled to centre to drive in George.
Three more runs for the Explorers in the seventh inning seemingly put the game out of reach. Davis plated Van De Brake with a single to left that made the score 7-4, then a throwing error allowed shortstop Elliot Good and Davis to come home, giving the home side a five-run cushion.
The Goldeyes though did not go down without a fight. Three consecutive doubles to start the ninth inning by García, first baseman Roby Enríquez, and shortstop Ray-Patrick Didder trimmed the deficit to 9-6. Didder later scored on Hall’s fielder’s choice to bring the Goldeyes within two. For the second time in three games, Winnipeg brought the tying run to the plate in the final inning, but the ballgame ended when Murphy lined into a double play.
Josh Landry (W, 2-4) started for Sioux City and exited after the sixth inning. He gave up four runs on eight hits while striking out five and walking a pair. Trey Morrill (S, 1) snuffed out the Goldeyes’ rally in the ninth, recording the final three outs.
Mitchell Lambson (L, 2-4) allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings of work. He struck out one and walked six batters. James Colyer, Quinn Waterhouse, Derrick Cherry, and Dominic Hambley appeared in relief for the Goldeyes, who issued a season-high 13 free passes on the evening.
Marcelo and García had three hits apiece for Winnipeg, who outhit the Explorers 13-11.
The Goldeyes return home to meet the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at Blue Cross Park Friday at 7:00 p.m. Tasker Strobel (2-1, 6.75 ERA) is expected to start for Winnipeg, while fellow left-hander Patrick Wicklander (2-1, 5.84 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound for Fargo-Moorhead.
Fans can join Trevor Curl for all the action live on CJNU 93.7 FM and online at cjnu.ca, with the pregame show beginning at 6:35 p.m. The game will also be broadcast in French on Envol 91 FM, with Yanick LaRoche handling the play-by-play. The video stream will be available free of charge at AABaseball.TV.
Friday is Rock ‘n Wrestling Night with postgame fireworks. The spectacular six-game homestand will also include Pride Night on Saturday, Sunday Family Fun Day, Soirée Francophone on Monday, Ukrainian Night and Two Dollar Tuesday, and Canada Day on Wednesday.
For information about Single Game Tickets, Skysuites, and Group Packages, please visit Goldeyes.com/Tickets.
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