712.277.WINS (9467)

Amarillo, TX- The Sioux City Explorers won their fourth game in a row with the win over Amarillo in extra innings Monday night. Final score, Explorers 5, ThunderHeads 4. 

Amarillo scored the first run of the ball game in the first inning. Lead-off man Lawrence Vick walked to start it, advanced to second on a wild pitch and then stole third base. ThunderHead infielder Juan Martinez hit a sac-fly to left-field to score Vick from third. 

The score stayed at 1-0 Amarillo until the 5th inning when the X’s got the bats rolling. Tommy Mendonca led of the fifth with a double. He later scored on a one out RBI double by Tim Colwell to score the first run of the game for Sioux City. Tim Colwell later scored on an error by the pitcher to give the Explorers the lead. The X’s went on to score two more runs in regulation, another in the fifth and one in the seventh. 

After seven innings, Sioux City had a 4-1 lead over Amarillo. In the eighth, the ThunderHeads went on to score three runs, on two hits and an error to tie the game at 4-4. The Explorers went scoreless in the ninth, as well as the ThunderHeads which meant extra innings in Amarillo. 

Extra innings didn't last too long. In the tenth, X’s shortstop Noah Perio Jr led off with a single to start the inning. Ryan Court singled on the next at-bat to advance Perio. With two on and no one out, Tommy Mendonca laid down a bunt single to load them up. Matty Johnson knocked in the final run of the game on a sac-fly RBI to centerfield which scored Perio from third. X’s closer Jose Flores pitched in the tenth, going 1-2-3 and receiving his seventh save on the season. Final score, Explorers 5, ThunderHeads 4 in ten innings. 

Starting pitcher for Sioux City was John Straka who got the no decision on the contest. The righty went 6.2 innings, allowing only one run on three hits and three strikeouts. Billy Bullock received the win for Sioux City, but allowed three runs in 2.1 innings. 

The ThunderHeads had six pitchers pitch in the ball-game, with the starter Chris Balcom-Miller getting a no decision, while pitching five innings and allowing three runs. Right-hander Kyle Bellows was charged with the loss for Amarillo. 

Sioux City had four X’s players finish with double-digit hits. Noah Perio Jr went 3 for 4 with an RBI and run scored, Rene Tosoni - 2 for 5 with an RBI, Ryan Court - 2 for 4 and Tommy Mendonca finished with two hits and a run scored as well. 

The Sioux City Explorers are now 8-0 on the road and have a two game lead for first place in the Central Division (12-5 record). They will play two more games in Amarillo on Tuesday at 7:05 and Wednesday-5:05. For 2015 ticket information at Lewis and Clark Park, call (712) 277-WINS or visit the X’s website at www.xsbaseball.com