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Clutch Hitting and Great Defense Lead X’s to Win

Geneva, IL (June 15, 2021) – The Sioux City Explorers have taken the first two of this four game series from the Kane County Cougars with a 5-2 win on Tuesday night. 

In the first inning, after Mitch Reeves threw out Jose Sermo at the plate to end the Explorers threat, it was the Cougars who jumped on the scoreboard first. Anfernee Seymour, who led off the inning with a double, scored on a Jeffrey Baez single. Baez then stole second and scored on a Kacy Clemens base hit to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead. 

However that was all Kane County would score off of Sioux City starter Tyler Beardsley (5-1) who earned the win as he went 6.2 innings, a season high, allowing those two runs, on five hits, walking six but striking out eight batters in the contest. 

Sioux City eventually was able to push across some runs in the sixth inning as Sebastian Zawada launched his fifth home run of the season to make it a 2-1 ballgame. 

After back to back walks and a fly out to left it was LT Tolbert who delivered the game tying RBI single to score Joseph Monge and tie the game 2-2. 

In the seventh, Sioux City took the lead for good as Jose Sermo led off the inning with a double, and on an errant throw from the Kane County right fielder was able to advance to third base. After a ground out, it was Chris Clare who put down the squeeze bunt as Sermo broke for home. The bunt rolled perfectly up the first base line and allowed Sermo to score giving Sioux City a 3-2 lead. 

The X’s added another pair of runs in the eighth as Lane Milligan smacked a pinch hit ground rule double to right field scoring one. And a Chase Harris sacrifice fly scored another to push the Sioux City lead to 5-2. 

The loss was handed to Cougars reliever Christian DeLeon (1-2) as he threw 2.1 innings of relief allowing three runs to score on three hits, walking one and striking out none. 

On the other end, Sioux City’s bullpen was very much up to the task as Nate Gercken fired 1.1 scoreless innings, coming into the seventh and stranding at the time the tying and go ahead runs in scoring position. 

And Matt Pobereyko notched his league leading ninth save of the year with a perfect ninth in part thanks to an incredible diving play in center field by Chase Harris. 

The X’s and Cougars will now meet in the third game of this four game set on Wednesday with first pitch set for 6:30 pm. The lefty Patrick Ledet (2-0, 5.55) gets the ball for the Explorers and righty Scott Harkin (0-1, 4.06) will get the start for the Cougars.