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Sioux City, IA - The X’s made it a one run ball game in the late innings against the Texas Airhogs but it wasn’t enough as they fall 6-5, ending their nine game winning streak. 

Texas jumped all over Sioux City starting pitcher Keith Picht in the second inning scoring six runs on 5 hits. Dillon Thomas started it with a base hit to lead off the inning. Stewart Ijames followed with a double that hit off the top of the left field wall and bounced back into play. Chen Chen then drove home Thomas with a ground ball to second that Jose Sermo attempted to go home with and throw out Thomas but his throw was not in time and made it a 1-0 lead for Texas. Luan Chen Chen then walked on a 3-2 pitch with the runner going. Sioux City committed a mental mistake by throwing the ball down to second and beginning a run down with Chen Chen even though it was a walk. Ijames at third took advantage and stole home on the play and scored making it 2-0. Yang Jin flied out to left for the second out but Texas then followed with 3 singles in a row all scoring runs, Chu Fujia, Lu Zhenhong and Correlle Prime all with run scoring hits making it 6-0 Texas. 

Keith Picht (1-2) took the loss for Sioux City tonight going 4.2 innings, allowing those 6 runs on 6 hits, walking 4 and striking out 2.

Sioux City would score once in the bottom of the second when Daniel Jackson singled, followed by a Dexture McCall double, Dylan Kelly then drove home Jackson with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-1. 

The X’s would load the bases with no one out in the third but were unable to get a run across in the inning. In total Sioux City left 11 men on base and left the bases loaded twice. 

The Explorers would score once more in the sixth when McCall walked, and came around to score on a David Kerian base hit to cut the Airhogs lead to 6-2. 

The X’s would then make things interesting in the eighth. Jackson reached on a base hit with one out. McCall struck out but then Kelly and Kerian followed with base hits with Kerian picking up an RBI on his, his second of the night. James Dykstra normally a starting pitcher for the Explorers came to bat with two outs as he had replaced Luis Durango in the outfield after Durango left with an injury. Dykstra was walked on four straight pitches to load the bases. Michael Lang then beat out a ground ball for an infield single, scoring a run and keeping the inning alive cutting the lead to 6-4. Nate Samson did the same beating out a ground ball for an infield single to drive in a run and make it 6-5. But that’s the closest the X’s would get to tying the game as Jose Sermo popped out to left field leaving the bases loaded. 

Texas would threaten in the ninth loading the bases themselves with only one out but Eric Karch was called in for Sioux City and was able to get out of the jam keeping it a 6-5 ball game. 

In the ninth Jay Baum would strike out but the ball would get away from the catcher and Baum reached at first safely. Jackson though would pop up and McCall would ground into a game ending 5-4-3 inning ending double play. 

Sioux City now has a 18-5 record and was unable to reach the plateau of 10 wins in a row which they have now only done four times in franchise history. They now go on a seven game road trip taking on the Kansas City T-Bones for a four game series starting on Monday at 7:05. And then playing the Gary Southshore RailCats for a 3 game series over the weekend. Both teams have winning records.