Canaries Soar Late to Take Series Opener
June 3, 2025 - American Association (AA)
Sioux City Explorers News Release
SIOUX FALLS, SD - The Sioux Falls Canaries (10-13) used a five-run seventh inning to break open a tightly contested game and defeat the Sioux City Explorers (14-9) by a final score of 6-3. In a battle dominated early by starting pitchers Zach Willeman and Thomas Dorminy, it was the Canaries who found the late offense to seize the opener of the Siouxland season series.
Any semblance of offense in the game was hard to come by as the starting pitching performances from Sioux City's Willeman and Sioux Falls's Dorminy were outstanding. Through six innings, each allowed just one run on four hits. The two arms went back and forth through two before the Canaries struck first in the bottom of the third. Hunter Clanin led off for Sioux Falls and smashed a 0-2 pitch over the wall to break the scoreless tie. Willeman would allow just two more hits over the rest of his outing.
The X's bats struggled for the majority of the game. They got some help tying the game in the top of the fifth inning. Torin Montgomery walked to lead off the frame, and Kurtis Byrne moved him into scoring position with a single. That turned the lineup over for Austin Davis, who pushed a bunt off the first base line that discombobulated the Sioux Falls defensive unit. Dorminy fielded it cleanly up the line, underhanded to first, where Peter Zimmerman just flat-out missed the ball, and it leaked into right field. Montgomery was hustling the whole way, scoring from second on the miscue. Davis and Byrne ended up at second and third base, respectively, with just one out with a chance for a big inning. Sioux City couldn't capitalize as Henry George flew out to the left, and Zac Vooletich struck out, stranding a pair.
From there, the game turned. Ryan Richardson (1-1) came on to pitch for the Canaries and hurled a scoreless inning. Nate Gercken (1-1) relieved Willeman and ran into trouble, loading the bases with nobody out in the inning with the heart of the order coming up for Sioux Falls. Trevor Achenbach sent a sinking liner to center field, which Davis caught, but he couldn't throw out Clanin, who was tagging third base. Sioux Falls retook the lead 2-1.
The left-handed Jaren Jackson inherited Gercken's remaining property, including the first and second pitches, and the first pitch he threw was demolished. Josh Rehwaldt broke the game open with a three-run no-doubter over the center field wall, increasing the lead to 5-1. The Canaries plated another in the inning and carried a 6-1 lead into the eighth inning. The five-run frame marked the third-straight game where the X's yielded at least five runs in an inning and the fourth-straight game where they allowed at least four runs in an inning.
The Explorers couldn't spark a rally in the eighth, but they sparked a bit of a rally in the ninth. Josh Day homered with one out, and then later in the inning, Kurtis Byrne sent a two-out double to deep right-center to bring home Montgomery. But it was too little too late. Sioux Falls closed the door to claim the series opener and cool off a hot Sioux City club.
The Explorers play game two of the three game series against the Sioux Falls Canaries on Wednesday night at Sioux Falls Stadium. The first pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. and 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
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