In the series opener, the Sioux City Explorers (38-28) beat the Gary SouthShore RailCats (26-40) by a 12-3 score to even up the season series at two-a-piece at Mercy Field at Lewis and Clark Park in Sioux City, Iowa.
While the ‘Cats and the Explorers were even at one after two innings, a five run third inning blew the lead open for Sioux City.
RailCats starter Jack Eisenbarger struck out the leadoff batter in the third, but the wheels would fall off as the next five batters singled as the X’s opened things up at 6-1 after three.
Nothing changed until the sixth when the Explorers hit around for the second time in the ballgame. A six-run sixth frame ballooned Sioux City’s lead to 12-1 through six innings as every starter for Sioux City would record a hit in the win.
In the seventh, Jackson Smith would rope a bases clearing, two-RBI triple down the third base line, but it was a case of far too little far too late to bring us to our 12-3 final.
Eisenbarger suffered the loss in his professional debut with five innings, nine hits, eight runs, seven of which were earned, four walks, and five strikeouts.
Yoel De Leon also allowed four runs on six hits in three innings of work.
Explorer’s starter Patrick Ledet took the win with seven innings of three-run baseball as he struck out nine.
The first four batters in the Explorer’s lineup would score a combined eight runs while three-hole hitter Jose Sermo went 4-for-5 with a double and three RBI on the day.
Game two between the Gary SouthShore RailCats and the Sioux City Explorers is scheduled for tomorrow, July 31 at 6:05 p.m. at Mercy Field at Lewis and Clark Park in Sioux City, Iowa.