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Sierra Dominates as Wren Fills Up Stat Sheet

Grand Prairie, TX - Carlos Sierra dominated for seven innings and Kyle Wren lead the way for the X’s offensively as the Explorers get themselves back into the win column with a 6-1 victory over the Texas Airhogs in the second game of the series. 

Wren set the tone early for the Explorers offense as he lead off the ball game with a double the other way down the left field line. Nate Samson followed with a single to left field, Wren initially was held up at second but the throw from the left fielder was off line and got away from both the catcher and pitcher allowing Wren to score. Samson advanced to second on the error and scored on the next consecutive at bat when Jeremy Hazelbaker lined one into center to make it 2-0 Sioux City. 

It was more of the same in the second as Sebastian Zawada began the inning with a double. And scored on Wren’s second hit of the day, a triple to left-center, his league leading ninth of the season. Wren came home on a sacrifice fly from Samson to make it 4-0 Explorers. 

Sioux City finished the scoring in the fifth as Wren yet again got the rally started this time with small ball. He placed a bunt perfectly up the third base line to reach. He then stole second and third to be the first player in the league to reach the 20 stolen base plateau on the season and scored on a Hazelbaker double to right. Hazelbaker would advance to third on a single and score on a sacrifice fly from Drew Stankiewicz to finish the scoring for the X’s 6-0. 

Carlos Sierra (7-0) won his sixth straight start as he dominated the Airhogs lineup. Tossing seven innings of one hit, shut out baseball. He collected seven strikeouts and walked just one batter. 

Sierra gave up a base hit to the lead off man in the first Li Ning and neither he nor did any other X’s pitcher allow another hit to the Airhogs from that point on. In fact after an error later that inning Sierra would retire 15 straight Airhogs before allowing a walk. He tossed five perfect innings out of his seven. 

Sam Held tossed a perfect eighth for Sioux City, the only pitcher who ran into problems was Juan Aguilera who got the first batter on a ground out and then walked the next three consecutive to load the bases. Texas would get a run on a sacrifice fly to center off of Matt Pobereyko who then struck out the final batter of the game to finish off the X’s 6-1 victory. 

The Explorers will look to win the series on Monday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 pm. Right hander Eric Karch gets the ball for Sioux City while Texas has not yet announced their game three starter.