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Grand Prairie, TX - The Sioux City Explorers were able to shake off the loss from the night before and get back to their winning ways as they defeated the Texas Airhogs tonight by a score of 6-2. 

Both teams got off to slow start offensively as it was scoreless through the first three innings of play. Sioux City was able to strike first in the fourth thanks to a two out rally. Back to back walks to Jay Baum and Dexture McCall brought up Dylan Kelly who drove in Baum with a base hit to give the X’s a 1-0 lead. Daniel Jackson then followed Kelly with his first of two doubles on the night, scoring McCall and making it 2-0 Sioux City. 

Texas answered in their half of the fourth as Dillon Thomas singled to lead off the inning. That was followed by an infield single by Correlle Prime. A wild pitch moved both base runners to second and third with no one out. A Stewart Ijames ground out to second base would score Thomas. Prime was at third with two outs in the inning when a pitch in the dirt got away from Kelly briefly, he was able to get to it quickly as Prime came home to attempt to score but the throw from Kelly to Mateo was in time to tag Prime at the plate and keep the X’s in front 2-1. 

Sioux City and Texas would trade runs in the fifth as Michael Lang singled to lead off the fifth, he would steal second and make his way to third before being brought home by a Jay Baum sacrifice fly to right field. Lu Zhenhong would double with two outs in the bottom half of the frame. He would score on a Casio Grider single and at the end of five innings it was 3-2 Sioux City. 

But the X’s scored again in the sixth making it three consecutive innings with a run as Kelly walked with one out in the frame. Jackson doubled again to put runners at second and third. Luis Durango then singled to bring home Kelly. Jackson attempted to score on the play as well but was tagged out at the plate keeping it 4-2 Sioux City.

That’s all Luis Mateo needed in the ball game for Sioux City as he twirled his fourth straight quality start as he went 7 innings, allowing just 2 runs, on 6 hits, striking out 5 and walking only 2. Mateo now is 9-3 on the year for Sioux City, the first pitcher for the X’s to reach nine wins on the year. 

The Explorers bullpen was it’s usual excellent self yet again as they did not allow a hit in the final two innings. Patrick Schuster had a 1-2-3 eighth and Ryan Flores only allowed a single base runner in the ninth on a two out walk. 

Sioux City added some insurance runs in the ninth as Daniel Jackson and Luis Durango started off the inning with back to back singles and Blake Schmit collected his first two RBI’s in an Explorers uniform with a base hit making it 6-2 Sioux City. 

The X’s are now 29-5 in away games this year and are now an incredible 53-17 through 70 games in 2018.

The Explorers and Airhogs will play game two on Friday night with first pitch at 7:05, with Taylor Jordan on the hill for Sioux City against Gan Quan for Texas.