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Sioux City, IA - The X’s lost a 5-4 lead in the ninth inning and fell to the Wichita Wingnuts by a score of 9-5 snapping their 10 game win streak. 

The Explorers actually started the scoring off with a pair of solo home runs Jose Sermo hit his ninth home run of the year in the second inning and Jay Austin followed with his third homer of the year making it 2-0 Sioux City after three innings. 

Wichita tied the game in the sixth inning after Zach Nehrir reached on an error to start the inning and Abel Nieves drove him home with his third home run of the year tying the game 2-2. 

The Explorers though answered right back in the bottom half of the inning. Austin lead off the inning with a bunt, and Nate Samson reaching on a single and both advanced to second and third on a wild pitch before being driven home by a Jose Sermo single who picked up three RBI’s on the night. Sermo then scored on a sacrifice fly by Dylan Kelly giving Sioux City a 5-2 lead. 

Wichita scored in the seventh though as Nick Rotola lead off with a single and Logan Watkins doubled after that. Rotola scored on a sacrifice fly by Nehrir. 

That would do it for Sioux City starter Taylor Jordan who took the no decision tonight in which he went 6.1 innings allowing 3 runs, 2 earned on 7 hits striking out 6 and walking 2 batters.

Wichita scored again in the eighth a lead off walk to John Nester started the inning followed by an infield base hit and an error on the pitcher and Wichita had the bases loaded with no body out. But Sioux City was able to limit the damage to only a single run as Hunter Clanin brought Nester home on a sacrifice fly to left field making it 5-4 Sioux City. 

The ninth inning began with Sioux City in front by a score of 5-4 but the wheels would quickly fall off for the X’s. Nehrir began the inning by beating out an infield single by a step. Nieves then hit a pop up down the right field line the landed in fair territory by about a foot. Nehrir who had taken off on the pitch to try and steal second base ran back to first just as the ball landed. Michael Lang attempted to throw Nehrir out on a force out at second but his throw short hopped Nate Samson at second and skipped over Samson’s glove and everyone was safe. Tony Thomas then attempted to drop down a sacrifice bunt but the throw from Eric Karch to first was high and allowed Nehrir to score and tie the game 5-5 and put runners at second and third with no one out. John Nester then brought hime both runners with a single to make it 7-5 Wingnuts. Graylin Derke then reached base next by an error by the second baseman. And with two outs in the inning Nick Rotola singled home two more runs and made it 9-5 Wichita. The Wingnuts scored five times in the ninth inning on only three hits and the Explorers committed three errors in the inning and six total in the ball game.

Sioux City got a lead off walk from Luis Durango but that was all they could get on in the bottom of the ninth. 

The loss snapped Sioux City’s 10 game winning streak and now sets up a rubber game between the X’s and Wingnuts on Sunday with Keith Picht going for the Explorers and Jordan Cooper for Wichita with first pitch set for 6:05.