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BOX SCORE

Sioux City, IA-The Explorers six-game home losing streak came to a close Sunday night with a 9-6 victory over Fargo-Moorhead at Lewis & Clark Park.

Sioux City (24-32) lost two of three from the RedHawks in the weekend series, but scored a first-inning season-high four runs to set the tone. Oscar Mesa led off with a walk. Michael Lang reached on a fielder’s choice bunt attempt with no out recorded. Rene Tosoni followed with a two-run scoring triple into the right-field corner. Tosoni then scored for a 3-0 lead on an RBI single to left by Andres Perez. The hit parade continued with a run-scoring double in the gap to left-center from Peter Barrows.

The Explorers added three more runs in the second frame. Another lead-off walk put Chris Escobar on base. A single to right by Oscar Mesa moved Escobar to second. Both runners moved up as Michael Lang bunted for a base hit. With Rene Tosoni at the plate, a wild pitch scored Escobar for a 5-0 lead and placed runners at second and third. Following a strikeout, Andres Perez singled off the pitcher’s glove on the infield toward second. The ricochet allowed both Mesa and Lang to race home for a 7-0 cushion.

Sioux City plated single runs in the third and eighth innings for a 9-1 lead. Sandwiched in between, Ronnie Bourquin smashed a solo home run to deep left in the sixth for the first Fargo-Moorhead (27-29) run of the night. The RedHawks did not go quietly in the top of the ninth. They scored five times in the inning, with three coming on a home run over the right-center field wall by Brandon Tripp. With two men on, Chris Bodishbaugh struck out Bourquin to end the game.

Another strong start this week by Patrick Johnson (pictured) gave the Explorers a shot in the arm on the mound. Johnson (5-2) worked eight innings and gave up just one earned run on four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. He struck out eleven at Winnipeg Tuesday in a no-decision. Drew Bowlin suffered the loss for the RedHawks. Bowlin (2-4) lasted five innings and yielded eight earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks.

Oscar Mesa, Michael Lang, and Andres Perez all had two-hit games for the X’s. Perez and Rene Tosoni drove in three runs each. For Fargo-Moorhead, Ronnie Bourquin and Brandon Tripp both collected two hits. Bourquin scored twice and Tripp posted three RBIs.   

Sioux City continues a six-game home stand with the series opener against Kansas City Monday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. For ticket information and promotion specials at Lewis & Clark Park, call 712-277-WINS or visit the Explorers website at www.xsbaseball.com.