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Samson Named Player of the Week, Fallwell Pitcher of the Week

Cleburne, TX – In a week that has seen the Explorers go 6-1 and currently in the midst of a five game winning streak the X’s have been recognized with some weekly awards. Shortstop Nate Samson has been named Pointstreak Player of the week and RHP Tyler Fallwell has been named Pointstreak Pitcher of the Week, both for the week ending on June 16th. 

Samson over the past week played in all seven games for the X’s and hit an incredible .467 the highest average in the league over that time. Samson hit for the week long cycle, collecting two doubles, a triple and crushing two home runs. He collected fourteen total hits, driving in seven runs and scoring nine. Samson got on base at a .500 clip, had a slugging percentage of .800 and an OPS of 1.300 all while not committing an error defensively. 

Samson began the week in a big way with a three hit performance against the Lincoln Saltdogs. Samson was clutch in the game for the Explorers as he reached base in the final four at bats he had on the night including scoring the game winning run in the twelfth. Samson in total had four multi hit games during the course of the week, including scoring a run or collecting an RBI in six of the seven games. Samson also came just a home run short of the cycle on June 13th, but instead collected four hits with two doubles and a triple with a run scored and two runs batted in. Samson already leads the Explorers with eleven multi-hit games. He also currently leads the X’s in batting average (.339), hits (40) and has struck out just seven times this season compared to walking in eleven trips to the plate. 

For Samson it is his second player of the week award after winning it for the week of June 25th - July 1st during the 2018 season. Samson is already a two time American Association All-Star and 2016 Player of the Year. 

Fallwell has earned the first player of the week award of his career after an outstanding week out of the bullpen. Fallwell made three appearances totaling seven and a third innings and earned two wins. He did not allow a single run to score while allowing a total of just four base runners with two hits and two walks. Fallwell was also dominant with thirteen strikeouts, amounting to a K/9 of 15.9. 

Not only are the stats impressive but it’s the situations in which Fallwell gained them in that make it even more impressive. Twice he was used late in games that ended with the X’s winning it in extra innings. He pitched on June 11th in the opening game of a four game series against the Lincoln Saltdogs and tossed three scoreless innings for Sioux City after coming out of the bullpen cold. He kept the game tied while collecting seven of his nine outs by strikeout, before the Explorers walked it off in the twelfth inning. Fallwell also kept the X’s in the ball game on June 15th on the road against the Cleburne Railroaders. After the Explorers tied the game in the seventh Fallwell pitched the eighth and ninth not allowing a hit and striking out four. Again Sioux City won it for him in extra innings scoring three times in the tenth to win the game 6-3. 

This season through thirty games, Fallwell leads the X’s bullpen in innings pitched (21.1), strikeouts (28) and wins (4). 

It is the second time in franchise history that the Explorers have swept the American Association, Point Streak Player and Pitcher of the Week awards. It last occurred in the final week of the 2018 season when Jose Sermo and Jason Garcia earned the accomplished the feat.