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Karch Earns First Win of Year on First Complete Game of Career

Milwaukee, WI  - The Sioux City Explorers were able to even up the series against the Milwaukee Milkmen behind Eric Karch’s complete game and some offensive firepower as the X’s ran away with this one 12-1. 

Karch (1-4) earned his first win as a starting pitcher for the Explorers by going the distance and allowing just a single run on 6 hits, striking out 3 and walking only one batter. He complete four perfect innings in the ballgame and had a stretch where he retired eight in a row and finished the game mowing down the last seven batters he faced. It was the first complete game of his professional career. 

Sioux City’s offense provided him all the run support he could have asked for in the game. Five Explorers had multi hit games, Samson lead the way with three runs scored, Sermo lead with three RBI’s but Drew Stankiewicz continued his torrid stretch of offensive production with a 3-4 game with 2 RBI’s, a run scored, 2 stolen bases, 2 walks and reached base all six times that he came to the plate. 

Sioux City set the tone early with a three run first inning with the first five men reaching base. Sermo began the scoring with a bases loaded walk, Stankiewicz began his big night with an RBI single and Dexture McCall finished the scoring with a sacrifice fly to right field making it 3-0 Sioux City. 

The X’s expanded their lead to 4-0 in the fifth as they loaded the bases with no outs but were able to squeeze just a single run out of it. Samson scored from third on a ground ball that McCall was able to beat out at first. 

Milwaukee never truly threatened in the game against Karch and only got a single run off of him in the sixth. Mauel Boscan doubled to lead off the inning and he would tag on two consecutive fly balls to get their lone run making it 4-1. But the double from Boscan would be the final hit of the night for the Milkmen off Karch

Sioux City’s offense then went into over drive scoring three times in the seventh with the big knock coming off the bat of Sebastian Zawada who doubled down the left field line scoring two runs, and Dylan Kelly added a sacrifice fly to left to make it 7-1 Sioux City. 

A Sermo home run in the eighth pushed the lead to 8-1 X’s. And in the ninth it was a two out rally that brought home another four runs as the X’s went on a hit parade. Samson, Sermo, Stankiewicz and McCall collected four straight singles and RBI’s to put the X’s up 12-1. 

Karch finished off the ninth with a 1-2-3 inning to finish off the complete game. 

The win by Sioux City sets up the rubber game of the series tomorrow as the Milkmen and X’s face each other one last time this season. Sioux City’s starter has yet to be determined, where as Milwaukee will be throwing south paw and 2019 North Division All-Star, TJ House. First pitch is set for 1:05 pm.