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Sioux City, IA - At one point trailing in the ballgame 6-2 The Explorers were able to come back and beat the Saltdogs by a score of 8-7. 

The X’s actually took the lead first in the game as Jay Baum drove home two runs with a single to left field giving him 51 RBI’s on the year, the league lead in that category. 

The Explorers would hold onto that 2-0 lead until the top of the fourth. X’s starter Keith Picht to that point had not allowed a hit to the Saltdogs for the first 3.1 innings, But after leading off the inning with a strikeout of Dan Johnson, the Saltdogs went on a hitting streak where the next eight men to the plate would collect a hit. Ivan Marin picked up an RBI on a base hit to make it 2-1 Sioux City. But the following batter Christian Ibarra would come up with the bases loaded and clear the bags with a double to deep centerfield giving Lincoln a 4-2 lead. Lincoln wasn’t finished there as TJ Bennett would drive home Ibarra with a single and Bennett would score on a single by Curt Smith. Lincoln collected eight of their 11 hits in the game in the fourth inning and the eight hits in the inning were a season high for the Saltdogs. In total they sent 12 men to the plate and chased Keith Picht from the game and after the top of the fourth Lincoln had a 6-2 lead. 

Sioux City then immediately began the comeback in the bottom of the fourth as the first two men reached on walks and then Daniel Jackson slapped a double into right center field scoring both of them to make it 6-4.  Jackson now has 5 RBI’s through the first two games of this series. 

The X’s scored again in the fifth as Jay Austin and Nate Samson both started the inning with singles. They advanced to second and third and with two outs in the inning Dexture McCall came up clutch for Sioux City with a 2-run double to tie the game 6-6. 

Lincoln took the lead back in the top of the sixth as Bennett lead off the inning with a double, he advanced to third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dan Johnson to make it 7-6 Lincoln. 

Sioux City scored twice again in the sixth as Luis Durango reached on a fielders choice and with two outs in the inning he stole second base to get into scoring position for Austin who smacked his third hit of the night into right field to tie the game 7-7. Samson then followed with a ground ball to first base but the pitcher covering the bag was unable to locate the bag with his foot and Samson was safe. The pitcher then immediately began arguing with the first base umpire forgetting about Austin who had moved up to third on the play and once he saw the pitchers attention was elsewhere he took off for home and scored to give Sioux City he 8-7 lead and one that they wouldn’t relinquish. 

The bullpen for Sioux City from that point shut down the Saltdogs attack as Ryan Flores (6-1) picked up the win pitching a scoreless 1.1 innings allowing just one hit. Patrick Schuster pitched a scoreless eighth inning getting Lincoln to ground into an inning ending double play. And Eric Karch picked up his ninth save of the year setting down the only three batters he faced in order, striking out two of them. 

Sioux City will now go for the three game sweep of the Lincoln Saltdogs on Sunday evening with first pitch at 6:05 and right hander Justin Vernia on the mound for the X’s against left hander Eric Wooten for the Lincoln Saltdogs.