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Bats Show Up in Game One, Go Missing in Game Two

Sioux Falls, SD (August, 22nd, 2022) - The Sioux City Explorers split the double header with the Sioux Falls Canaries on Monday night taking game one 8-2 and falling in game two 1-0. 

Game One: Sioux City 8 - Sioux Falls 2

The X’s struck early and often as they cruised to a game one victory over the Sioux Falls Canaries. 

Three consecutive two out singles eventually produced an Ademar Rifaela RBI single to put Sioux City ahead 1-0. Chase Harris then mashed a three-run homer out to left to give the Explorers a 4-0 lead. 

Sioux City added a run per inning over the next three consecutive frames. Jack Kelly hit a solo home run in the second. A two out wild pitch scored Rifaela in the third and a Danry Vasquez single in the fourth gave the X’s a commanding 7-0 lead. 

That was plenty of cushion for Sioux City starter Patrick Ledet (5-4) who went five and two-thirds innings and allowed two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and four walks. 

He allowed a run in the fifth from a Jabari Henry base hit, and on a Trey Michalczewski home run that led off the sixth. 

Sioux City padded the lead back to six runs with a Harris RBI groundout in the seventh. Harris had a two hit game and scored a run with four RBI. 

Taking the loss for Sioux Falls was Neil Lang (2-5) who allowed seven runs on twelve hits in six innings. 

Game Two: Sioux Falls 1 - Sioux City 0

After a hot start in game one, the Explorers bats fell silent in game two as the Canaries earned a split of the double header with a 1-0 victory. 

Stevie Ledesma (5-3) picked up the win with a dominant first start of the season. The reliever, whose longest outing this year was two innings tossed six shutout frames, allowed only three hits, no walks and collected seven strikeouts. He retired the first eleven Explorers he faced and Sioux City never got the lead off man aboard. 

Solomon Bates (0-1) was equally as good in his first start of the season but was handed the tough luck loss. He fanned nine batters in his four innings of work. He allowed five hits and one walk and gave up only one run. 

That lone run came in the fourth when Gavin Lavalley led off the inning with an opposite field home run that snuck over the wall. 

Mitchell Walters (5) threw a scoreless ninth and worked around a one out walk by striking out the side. 

The Explorers and Canaries will continue the five game series on Tuesday with game three scheduled for 7:05 pm. Right hander Kevin McCanna (8-5, 4.76) gets the ball for Sioux City and will be opposed by righty Tyler Garkow (1-8, 7.65).