Sioux City Explorers End First Half on Wrong Note with 9-7 Loss to Wichita Wingnuts - Box Score

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com – SIOUX CITY, IA -- The first half ended the way it began with a loss to Wichita as Michael Thompson broke up a 6-6 tie with a 3 run HR in the top of the 7th inning and the Wingnuts won it 9-7 Saturday night at Lewis & Clark Park.
 
The X's had built an early lead with 4 runs in the first but Wichita came back to take a 1 run lead with 4 runs in the 5th.  With 2 on and 1 out, Thompson hit an opposite field blast off the newest Explorers pitcher Mike McTamney that turned out to be the difference in the game.
 
Sioux City got 4 runs in the first keyed by a 2 run double by Juan Camacho and a RBI triple by Chad Gabriel.  After Wichita scored 1 in the 2nd on a RBI single by Chris Colton, the X's scored one in the bottom of the 2nd on a squeeze bunt by Derek Schermerhorn.  The Nuts tacked on a run in the third on a RBI single by Stephen Pearson.

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With a 5-2 lead, the Wingnuts put 4 runs on the board in the 5th led by a 2 run double by Stephen Pearson to take a 6-5 lead.
 
The X's tied the game in the 6th on a RBI pinch hit single by Alex Llanos but that set up the dramatics by Thompson in the 7th.
 
Sioux City had a chance to rally in the 9th off of Wingnuts closer Byron Embry.  With 1 out, Dustin Jones would triple to right center and score on Schermerhorn's RBI grounder.  Nick McCoola would single bringing the tying run to the plate but Chris Grossman struck out to end the game.
 
Jones went 3-4, with a HR short of the cycle, scoring twice,  Camacho was 2-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored.  Schermerhorn had 2 RBI but went 0-4.  Chad Gabriel went 2-4 with a triple, double and a RBI.
 
The middle of the order for Wichita tormented the Explorers with Brenan Herrera going 4-4 with a walk and 2 runs.  Stephen Pearson went 3-4 with 3 RBI and a double.  Both teams used a combined 11 pitchers on the night, 6 by Sioux City.  The X's gave up a season high 18 hits.
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Box Score