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X’s Eye Sweep As They Take First Two From Lincoln

Sioux City, IA (June 19, 2021) – Sioux City has taken the first two games of their three game weekend series from the Lincoln Saltdogs as they aim for the sweep on Sunday afternoon after a 4-3 victory. 

The X’s used the long ball to their advantage early. Sioux City came into the ball game going three straight games without a home run. However Sebastian Zawada changed that in the bottom of the second with a man aboard as he went the opposite way out to right field for his sixth home run of the season.

In the following inning, Nate Samson made his return to the lineup and hit his fourth homer of the year to push the X’s lead to 3-0. 

Lincoln would scratch out a run in the fourth as Skyler Weber singled with a runner at third to cut into the X’s lead 3-1. The Saltdogs would load the bases with two gone in the frame but Sioux City starter Zach Hedges would get out of the jam with a strikeout. =

Lincoln tied the game in the fifth as Ryan Long singled with two outs scoring runners from second and third tying the game 3-3. 

Those however were the final runs and base runners that Explorers starter Zach Hedges (4-1) would allow in the ballgame as he retired the last eight Saltdogs that he faced. Hedges went a season high 7.1 innings allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out four and walking two in the victory. 

His counterpart Keenan Bartlett (1-1) went 5.1 innings for the Saltdogs allowing four runs on ten hits, with a season high seven strikeouts while issuing two walks. The runs allowed by Bartlett were the first he has allowed as a starting pitcher this season, as he began his time in the Lincoln rotation with 16.1 scoreless frames. 

In the sixth the Explorers took the lead for good as Chase Harris hit a RBI sacrifice fly to right field with the bases loaded to give Sioux City a 4-3 lead. 

After Hedges exited with one out in the eighth, Nate Gercken polished off the inning with a couple of strikeouts. And in the ninth it was Matt Pobereyko picking up his league leading tenth save of the year with a perfect final frame with two strikeouts. 

Sioux City will look to pull off a second sweep of the Lincoln Saltdogs this year after taking all three games a couple of weeks ago. Sioux City has yet to announce who will take the mound for them in Sunday afternoons finale, Lincoln will send righty Walter Borkovich(1-2, 5.58) to the mound with first pitch set for 4:05 on Father’s Day.