AA Joplin Blasters

Blasters Fall to Explorers in Series Finale

Published on July 12, 2015 under American Association (AA)
Joplin Blasters News Release


Joplin, MO-The Blasters attempt at a home sweep of Sioux City fell short by one game as the Explorers salvaged the Sunday finale with a 9-4 win at Joe Becker Stadium.

Joplin (27-18) fell behind early before tying the game twice, only to see the Explorers plate five runs over the final three innings for the victory. Sioux City (35-15) opened the scoring with a single tally in the first. With one out, Michael Lang walked. With two outs, Ryan Court singled on a liner to right that scored Lang. The Blasters leveled the game in the second on a line-drive solo home run by Jake Taylor that barely crept over the fence in left. It was Taylor's seventh homer of the season.

The Explorers reclaimed the lead in the fourth. Matt Koch started a two-out rally with a base hit to center. Ino Patron followed with a walk. Austin Stubbs then made it 2-1 on a ground ball base hit up the middle that scored Koch. Sioux City extended its lead in the top of the fifth. Matty Johnson led off the inning with a single to right. Two batters later, Noah Perio smashed a broken bat home run deep onto the berm in right-center for a 4-1 lead. In the home half of the fifth, Joplin responded with a long ball of its own. Steven Tinoco led off with a sharp single into center. The next batter, Jesus Solorzano, blasted his fourth home run of the season to deep left-center that cut the deficit to 4-3.

The Blasters scratched a run across in the sixth to tie it. Steven Tinoco reached on an infield single to short. A two-out double from Maikol Gonzalez brought in Tinoco. On the play, Gonzalez was thrown out at third trying to stretch it into a triple right after Tinoco crossed home plate.

Sioux City quickly went on the offensive attack again in the top of the seventh. Tim Colwell singled on the infield and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Michael Lang reached on a ground ball error at third. Noah Perio then made it 6-4 on a triple stroked up the right field line that scored both Colwell and Lang. The Explorers added two more in the eighth and a solo homer by Ryan Court in the ninth for the game's final margin.

Jeff Marquez battled for six innings to pick up the win for the Explorers. Marquez (5-5) allowed four earned runs on eight hits with one strikeout and four walks. He also gave up two home runs. Joplin reliever Josue Montanez took the loss. Montanez (0-1) went one-and-a-third and yielded two runs (one earned) on two hits with one strikeout.

At the plate, Sioux City outhit Joplin 11-to-9. Matty Johnson and Tim Colwell each had two hits. Johnson had one RBI and scored a run. Colwell scored twice. Noah Perio and Matt Koch both had two hit games. Perio homered and tripled to drive in four. Ryan Court was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run. For the Blasters, Maikol Gonzalez and Steven Tinoco each went 3-for-4. Gonzalez had an RBI and Tinoco scored two runs. Jake Taylor collected two hits with the homer and a double. Jesus Solorzano was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run.

First-place Joplin has the day off Monday before a one-game road trip to Wichita Tuesday night. First pitch at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium is set for 7:05 p.m. The team returns home for four straight days against Amarillo Wednesday through Saturday. For 2015 ticket information and promotion specials at Joe Becker Stadium, call 417-622-4838 or visit the Blasters website at www.joplinblasters.com.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



American Association Stories from July 12, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central