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Cleburne, TX - The Explorers were able to work themselves out of a couple of late inning jams to clinch the series win over Cleburne by a score of 5-2 and win their sixth straight game. 

The X’s scored twice in the second inning without even gathering a hit. By Nate Samson leading off the inning with a walk, and then Jose Sermo getting aboard after being hit by a pitch. They would both be successful on a double steal and then Samson would score on a wild pitch by Cleburne starter Patrick Young. Sermo would score after Jay Baum hit a ground ball to the second baseman Trevor Sealey who bobbled the grounder and then rushed the throw to first and ended up throwing the ball away making it 2-0 Sioux City. 

The Explorers would score twice again in the third when Luis Durango lead off with a walk. Two outs later Nate Samson reached on a base hit, and then stole second base. Jose Sermo then delivered for the Explorers with a two out double to give the X’s a 4-0 lead. 

That would be more than enough for Sioux City starter Justin Vernia (2-1) who picked up the win tonight by 5.1 innings, allowing only 1 run to score on 5 hits with 4 strikeouts and only 1 walk. Vernia allowed a quick two out rally to form for Cleburne in the fourth but other than that had three 1-2-3 innings tonight. 

Vernia would leave in the sixth when Cleburne loaded the bases with only one out. Parker Markel then came in relief of Vernia and retired the first two batters he faced to keep the Railroaders off the scoreboard in the inning. 

Sioux City would score again in the seventh when they loaded the bases with no body out but were only able to plate one run. Samson drove in Jackson who had started the inning with a lead off walk to make it 5-1 Sioux City. But Shawn Blackwell was called on for Cleburne with the bases loaded and only one out and he struck out the first two batters he faced to leave the bags loaded for Sioux City. 

Markel would begin the ninth inning for The X’s looking to lock down the three inning save. He would strike out the first batter but then let the next two reach on base hits. Patrick Schuster was then called in for the X’s but he failed to record an out as Axel Johnson drove in a run to cut the X’s lead to 5-2. Schuster would also walk a batter to load the bases for Cleburne with one out in the ninth. 

The X’s would once again turn to Tyler Fallwell in the ninth for the second straight night to close out the game. Fallwell came in with the tying run at first base and the winning run at the plate but only had to face one batter as he got Trevor Sealey to line out to Sermo at second base who then stepped on the bag to double off Johnson and end the game. 

Sioux City has now won six straight games and are a perfect 5-0 on their Texas road trip. They also stole a season high seven bases tonight after stealing six against the Airhogs just four days ago on June 1st. And as a team have now swiped 19 bags through their five games played on this road trip. They now go for the sweep of the Railroaders and the sweep of the road trip with the first pitch for game 3 of the series on Wednesday slated for 7:06.