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Explorers Drubbed by I-29 Rivals

Sioux Falls, SD  - A day after a dramatic walk off win the Explorers failed to show up in Sioux Falls for the series opener with the Canaries, falling 16-2. 

Sioux Falls used two big innings to spear head their offensive assault against Explorers pitching. Scoring five times in the fifth and nine times in the eighth. They were lead by Andrew Ely who went 3-5 with two home runs and 4 RBI’s. 

Ely’s home run in the fourth got the first big rally for the Birds started making it 3-0 with the blast to right field. Kevin Taylor followed with a two out bases loaded, two run double to make it 5-0, and a bases loaded walk made it 6-0 Birds after four innings. 

Another run tacked on in the fifth again on a bases loaded walk pushed the lead to 7-0. 

That’s how the score stayed for awhile as Mark Seyler was brilliant for Sioux Falls. Seyler (3-2) allowed just two runs over 6 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and walking two while striking out four. At one point Seyler retired 13 straight batters. 

Sioux City would get their runs on one swing of the bat. A two out, two run home run by Dylan Kelly to make it 7-2 in the seventh. It was the second home run of the season for the X’s catcher. 

The wheels would come off completely for Sioux City in the eighth inning when Sioux Falls put nine runs on the scoreboard, on eight hits and one error. Things for Sioux City got so out of hand in the inning that their every day short stop Nate Samson took the mound to finish off the inning. It was the first time Samson has ever pitched for the X’s and his sixth time in his professional career. 

In the game every Canary in the lineup had a hit, and eight out of the nine scored both a run and drove in one. With six of the nine batters driving in multiple runs. 

For the Explorers pitching staff they walked a season high 10 batters, hit two and allowed 18 hits. Giving Sioux Falls a grand total of 30 base runners. Sioux City had walked nine during the game on the 4th of July making it 19 walks in the last 20 innings pitched for the X’s staff. 

Sioux City will look to right the ship on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 pm from Sioux Falls.