712.277.WINS (9467)

Sioux City, IA - The Sioux City Explorers are able to clinch another series win as they blank the Winnipeg Goldeyes by a score of 4-0 behind another stellar outing from Justin Vernia. 

Vernia (6-1) tonight was dominant for the Explorers yet again as he went 7.1 shut out innings allowing just three hits, walking a single batter and tying a season high with 9 strikeouts. Vernia has now gone four straight outings going at least 7 innings and allowing 1 run or less. Combined during that stint Vernia has pitched 28.1 innings, allowing just 2 runs, on 16 hits, walking only 4 and striking out 31 with an ERA of a microscopic 0.64. 

The X’s would help Vernia out by collecting a hit in all eight innings that they came up to bat tonight pounding out a total of 13 though none of them were for extra bases. 

In the fourth Sioux City got a lead off single by Nate Samson, with one out Jay Baum would single and Dexture McCall would walk to load the bases. Daniel Jackson then came up with two outs in the inning and delivered a base hit into left center field on the first pitch that he saw of the at bat to make it 2-0 Explorers. 

The X’s struck again in the following inning, as Jay Austin lead off with a single one of his three hits on the night. Samson was then hit by a pitch and Jose Sermo singled to once again load the bases for Sioux City this time with no one out. But after a strikeout and a pop out it seemed the Explorers were going to waste the golden opportunity but Dylan Kelly drove home two runs with a base hit with two outs to make it 4-0 Sioux City after five innings of play. 

Kelly and Jackson were the eighth and ninth batters of the lineup for Sioux City tonight and they both combined to drive in all four runs for the X’s tonight. 

Vernia was so dominant in this game that he actually carried a perfect game into the sixth inning. He retired the first 16 Goldeyes that he faced in the ball game. It wasn’t until one out in the sixth when Jordan Ebert was the first Goldeye to reach base against Vernia with a ground ball single into right field. Winnipeg actually loaded the bases against Vernia in the sixth but he got Josh Romanski to pop out to third base to end the threat. 

After Vernia left with one out in the top of the eighth the Explorers went to Ryan Flores in the bullpen. Flores pitched a perfect 1.2 innings retiring all 5 batters that he faced to finish off the 4-0 shut out for the Explorers. 

The X’s have now won at least eight straight games for just the ninth time in franchise history. And have already won at least this many once before this season when they had a nine game winning streak earlier this year. 

Sioux City will go for the series sweep on Wednesday on Independence Day against their rivals from Canada as the right hander Luis Mateo will take the mound for the X’s opposed by the left hander Kevin McGovern with first pitch set for 7:05 and fireworks immediately following the conclusion of the game.