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Three Home Runs by Dogs Over Power X’s

Rosemont, IL - At first it seemed as though the Explorers were going to ride the momentum of their series sweep over the Texas Airhogs into the beginning of their seven game road trip but that was not to be the case as the Chicago Dogs defeated the Explorers in game one of the series 9-2. 

Sioux City got off to a quick start in the ball game, as Nate Samson singled and stole second, and Jose Sermo walked with two outs setting up Dean Green. Both runners took off on the pitch as part of a double steal and Green laced one down the left field line for a two run double giving the Explorers a 2-0 lead. 

Chicago answered back though as David Olmedo-Barrera took the first pitch of the night from Eric Karch and doubled. He advanced to third on a ground ball and scored on a sacrifice fly from Trey Vavra to cut the X’s lead in half.

Sioux City threatened offensively for the next couple of innings getting multiple men on base in the 2nd and 3rd but couldn’t drive them in. In total the Explorers in the first three innings of the game collected two runs on five hits, but left five men on base and only got two more base runners on for the rest of the ball game.

Trevor Simms (1-1) was able to dance in and out of trouble for the first three innings but eventually settled into a groove for Chicago earning him the win. He went six innings, allowing two runs on six hits, punching out six and walking three. He would retire the final ten of eleven batters he faced. 

Chicago on the other hand didn’t need many base runners to score, using their lineup and ballpark to their advantage. Jordan Dean lead off the 3rd with a solo home run to tie the game at two. Keon Barnum would hit the first of his two home runs of the night on a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the 4th with a man aboard to make it 4-2 Dogs. 

Barnum would add that second home run in the seventh as he lead off the inning making it 5-2 Dogs. 

Those runs came off of Eric Karch (0-3) who despite taking the loss was other wise very good for the Explorers. He went six and two-thirds innings while allowing just six hits, giving up five runs, and racking up eight punch outs and giving up just a single walk. Five of the six hits Karch allowed in the game were extra base hits. 

The Dogs would put the game away in the 8th with four runs off of Carlos Sierra. Trey Vavra doubled in two runs collecting three RBI’s in the game. And Keon Barnum finished off his impressive night with a RBI double making it a three hit, three RBI game. 

Of Chicago's ten hits in the game seven of them were for extra bases and they clubbed three home runs. 

Sioux City will look to even the series on Saturday night with first pitch for that game at 7:05 pm. The Explorers will send Taylor Jordan to the mound against the Dogs’ south paw Jake Dahlberg.