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Duval Pitches Well, Kelly Homers Late, But X’s Lose to Fish

Winnipeg, MB - The Explorers fought tooth and nail for the second straight game against the Winnipeg Goldeyes but once again found themselves on the wrong side of a close game, this time dropping the day game to the Fish 5-4. 

Max Duval (1-3) took the loss for Sioux City but certainly didn’t deserve to. Duval turned in his best start with the Explorers allowing only three runs on five hits through seven innings of work while fanning six. 

Wes Darvill who drove in two runs the night before got to Duval in the second inning with a solo home run over the right field wall making it 1-0 Goldeyes.

Sioux City though in the third responded with some two out magic. Michael Lang who had a three hit game, began the rally with a base hit. He would take off on a pitch to Nate Samson who hit one through the vacated spot of the second baseman who had to cover the bag. Lang never hesitating scored on the play all the way from first tying the game 1-1. Jose Sermo gave the X’s the lead with a base hit bringing home Samson and Sioux City held their only lead of the game for a brief time 2-1. 

Those were the only two runs Sioux City would get off of Goldeyes’ starter Harrison Cooney. Cooney (2-1) earned the win going five innings, allowing five hits and two runs while whiffing four and walking two. 

But like the night before Winnipeg responded to the Explorers in the fourth. After a one out walk to Willy Garcia, Wes Darvill hit a ball on the ground to second, the X’s looked to turn the double play but a competitive slide into second by Garcia didn’t allow Samson to step into the throw to first allowing Darvill to reach safely. Darvill would swipe his fifth bag of the season and Reggie Abercrombie drove him home with a two out double tying the game for a brief moment before Dominic Ficociello gave Winnipeg the lead with a base hit making it 3-2 Goldeyes. 

That’s how it would stay even when Sioux City threatened in the seventh with runners on the corners and only one out. But the Goldeyes would escape that trouble with a double play on a very close play at first to leave the tying run at third. 

In the eighth Winnipeg added a pair of much needed insurance runs. A balk scored James Harris after a lead off double and Abercrombie again with two outs drove home Wes Darvill who scored his third run of the game to make it 5-2 Goldeyes. 

But the X’s did not go down quietly in the ninth. Dexture McCall worked a lead off walk against Goldeyes closer Victor Cappellan. And after a pair of strikeouts Dylan Kelly obliterated a ball to right field for his first homer of the season, pulling the Explorers within a run 5-4. Kyle Wren would follow with a single and a stolen base getting the tying run into scoring position. Lang walked, reaching base for the fourth time in the game adding the threat of the go ahead run at first. But Nate Samson fanned against the reliable reliever for the Fish ending the game. 

The Explorers have lost the first two games of the series with the Goldeyes both by a single run. The X’s look for their first win on Wednesday night when they send righty Eric Karch to the mound he will be faced by Winnipeg right hander Parker French, first pitch is set for 7:05 pm.