Canaries Offense Claims Series Win
June 6, 2025 - American Association (AA)
Sioux City Explorers News Release
SIOUX FALLS, S.D .- The Sioux City Explorers (15-10) watched an early lead disappear as the Sioux Falls Canaries (11-14) erupted for 14 unanswered runs in a 15-4 rout. A six-run fifth inning flipped the game on its head and handed Sioux City its first road series loss of the season.
Henry George felt like he missed out on the power barrage, so the former South Dakota State Jackrabbit joined the party. The lefty drove one the opposite way down the left field line that kept carrying and soared over the wall. Despite George's gift of an early lead, X's starter, Peniel Otaño, had a disastrous first two batters. He worked ahead of Mike Hart 0-2, then walked him, and Jabari Henry singled to center on the first pitch he saw.
Otaño then balked, placing two runners in scoring position for three-hitter Trevor Achenbach. The third-year Canary sent a broken bat liner back to the mound. Otaño caught it for the first out and threw to third to double up Hart for the second out. The Dominican righty would finish the inning unscathed and send the offense back to work. Both teams went down in order in the second, but the Explorers made some noise in the third.
Austin Davis reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and headed to third when Henry George ripped Brendan Knoll's 1-0 pitch into right field for a single. George then took off for a second, forcing a throw from catcher Scott Combs. George was safe, but Davis broke for the plate on the play and scored just ahead of the second baseman. Achenbach's toss back to the plate was late. With the steal, the former TCU Horned frog stole home for the second time in the young season. Later in the inning, George scored on Abdiel Layer's sacrifice fly, and the X's took a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third.
Otaño yielded his first blemish in the bottom of the frame. Hart walked to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on the fielder's choice. The Canaries finally scratched a run across, but the former Diamondbacks farmhand stopped the bleeding and retired the side.
Sioux Falls struck again in the bottom of the fifth inning. With runners at first and third and out, Josh Rehwaldt pushed an infield single to Abdiel Layer at third base, playing in the shortstop position with the shift on, scoring Hart, and just like that, it was a one-run game. Calvin Estrada walked to load the bases, and Peter Zimmerman snatched the lead from the X's with a two-run single through the left side, out of Josh Day's reach at shortstop. Jordan Barth added to the rally with a triple to left field, plating Estrada and Zimmerman.
The next batter, Scott Combs, delivered with the fifth hit of the inning as he singled off the second base bag, scoring Barth, which brought Sioux Falls's lead to 7-3, still with only out in the frame. Steve Montgomery brought in Brendan O'Donnell to finish the inning as Mike Hart ran himself into an out, over sliding second base after a double on the wet field turf. The X's finally found a way out of the frame, but not before the Canaries threw an ugly six on the scoreboard.
Knoll worked around early trouble to finish off a solid start for Sioux City. The former Minnesota State Mankato Maverick surrendered four runs over six innings of work but pitched well enough to keep his team in the game and left the field with the lead.
Josh Rehwaldt broke the game open for the Canaries with his sixth big fly of the season, extending his team's lead to 10-4 on a three-run jack to the opposite field over the wall in left. Still, in the same inning, Barth picked up the counterpart of two most difficult ends of a cycle with the second three-run blast of the inning. Barth and Rehwaldt each finished the game with five RBI.
When the dust finally settled in the inning, the X's had conceded 14 total runs and seven runs in an inning. O'Donnell allowed seven earned runs while recording just a single out.
With the game well out of reach, Sioux City's offense went quietly into the night as Sioux Falls tacked on one more run and took the series.
The Explorers road swing continues at Oconomowoc, Wisconsin Friday night June 6 with game one of a three game weekend series against the Lake Country DockHounds. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. from Wisconsin Brewing Company Ballpark. The game can be heard on radio at KSCJ 94.9 FM and 1360 AM and the video stream will air on aabaseball.tv. Ticket packages for the 2025 season are on sale now, including Full and Half-Season Tickets as well as 10-, 15-, and 25-game Flex Packs. More information is available by calling the Explorers front office at 712-277-WINS. Stay tuned to the Explorers' social media channels and the club's website, xsbaseball.com, for all our news and updates.
TUNE INTO ALL THE EXPLORERS ACTION ON KSCJ AND AABASEBALL.TV.
American Association Stories from June 6, 2025
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- Canaries Offense Claims Series Win - Sioux City Explorers
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