712.277.WINS (9467)

BOX SCORE

Fargo, ND-The Explorers fought back from a two-run deficit after the first inning only to watch Fargo-Moorhead score the winning run on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 10^th for a 3-2 victory Friday night at Newman Outdoor Field.

The RedHawks (9-6) opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Zach Penprase led off with a single to right. Sawyer Carroll did the same. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Ronnie Bourquin then singled to center for a 1-0 lead. Following a walk to C.J. Retherford, Nic Jackson made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly out to center.

Sioux City (5-11) scratched its first run across in the fourth. Michael Lang started with a single to right. Andres Perez reached on a fielder’s choice and ended up at third on a two-base error by the catcher. With one out, Tom Mendonca drove in Perez on a sacrifice fly to right. The Explorers plated the tying run later in the seventh inning. Mendonca led off with a walk. After a pitching change, Nate Samson bunted Mendonca up to second. Luke Murton then singled to tie the game at 2-2.

Fargo-Moorhead put a base runner on in the tenth. With one out, Brandon Newton singled to right and stole second. The very next batter, Travis Higgs, singled to left and put runners at the corners. Higgs stole second before Zach Penprase flied out to right. With two outs, the Explorers made a pitching change. Left-hander Kenny Long relieved Jimmer Kennedy to face left-handed hitting Sawyer Carroll. Carroll wound up walking to load the bases. Another lefty batter, Ronnie Bourquin, came to bat. Bourquin worked the count full before he walked to bring home Newton from third with the winning run.

RedHawks reliever Kevin Fuqua picked up the win. Fuqua (2-0) worked the tenth inning. He gave up one base hit. Jimmer Kennedy took the loss for Sioux City. Kennedy (1-1) pitched one-and-two-thirds. He allowed one earned run on two hits with one strikeout. It was the first earned run Kennedy had given up this season. Both starters, Greg Holt and Taylor Stanton, went six innings.

Luke Murton had two hits on the night for the X’s and drove in a run. Seven different RedHawks batters scattered seven hits. Ronnie Bourquin had two RBIs. Sioux City is now 1-1 in extra-inning games, while Fargo-Moorhead improved to 2-0 in extras.

The Explorers play game three of their four-game series with Fargo-Moorhead tomorrow night at Newman Outdoor Field. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Sioux City returns home June 2^nd against Gary SouthShore. For ticket information and promotion specials at Lewis & Clark Park, call 712-277-WINS or visit the Explorers website at www.xsbaseball.com.