Day Saves the Day in Extra Innings

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AA Sioux City Explorers

Day Saves the Day in Extra Innings

May 23, 2025 - American Association (AA)
Sioux City Explorers News Release


SIOUX CITY, Iowa - The Sioux City Explorers (9-4) showed their flair for late-inning heroics as they walked off the Gary SouthShore RailCats (2-10) in ten innings, thanks to a Josh Day RBI single's cementing the 6-5 win. Sioux City clinched their first series sweep of the season with the win.

The X's got going right away in the bottom of the first inning. Austin Davis led up with a bloop single, and his teammates manufactured his trip around the bases. The speedy center fielder went to second on a wild pitch, got to third on a fly out, and scored on Luis Toribio's ground out to second.

Zach Willeman got the start for Sioux City and was brilliant once again. He struck out four of the first six batters he faced and finished his outing with twelve, a season-high for an X's pitcher this season. As Willeman cruised, the X's continued to score. The Explorers sent nine batters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth, racking up four runs on five hits and providing their hurler with a nice cushion.

Trailing 5-0, it seemed as if someone lit a fire under the RailCats. Willeman struck out the first two batters of the top of the fifth, and it looked like another easy frame. With two outs, Willeman plunked Cooper Edwards, and then Nick Ultsch slammed an RBI triple down the right-field line, putting the RailCats on the board. Olivier Basabe's single scored 5-2, and Basabe himself would later score on a wild pitch.

The RailCats pulled within a run in the eighth, but Felix Cepeda (2-0) came on to try and slam the door in the top of the ninth inning. The Dominican-born righty recorded the first two outs of the inning with ease. Jairus Richards represented the last hope for Gary SouthShore, and his little dribbler back the mound should have ended the game, but Cepeda could not field the baseball cleanly, and the tying run was on for the RailCats. Cepeda then allowed Richards to steal second, placing the tying run in scoring position. The former Boston College Eagle Joe Suozzi cashed in and smashed a single to center, tying the game at five a piece. Cepeda didn't allow anymore to score, and Sioux City went quietly in the ninth, so for the first time this season at home, the X's would be involved in an extra-inning affair.

Elvis Peralta started the inning on second by league rule, but all he really did was twiddle his thumbs. Cepeda retired the side in order in the tenth, and now it was the offense's turn to come through.

Before the final frame, the Xs hadn't scored a run since the fourth, and as a team, they certainly were due for a few base hits. Abdiel Layer was the zombie runner at second in the tenth. The leadoff man in the inning was Torin Montgomery, who grounded out to third base, moving the winning run to third base. With only one out, RailCat manager Lamarr Rogers forced his hurler, Nate Alexander (0-3), to intentionally walk Nick Shumpert and Zac Vooletich to put a force at any base.

Josh Day came to the plate as a man on a mission, and he completed it. With his adrenaline pumping, he smoked a 2-1 pitch to center field, bringing home Layer, winning the game, and being rewarded with an ice-cold Gatorade bath.

From the game notes: This win marked the second walk-off win on the current homestand and the second extra-inning victory of the 2025 season. The 12 strikeouts for Willeman was a new season high for Sioux City as he edged out Kyle Marman who had 11 on opening night at Kane County. Josh Day went 5-for-9 in the series. The Explorers had double digit hits for the second straight game and the first time back-to-back this season. Sioux City stole three bases in the game and finished with eight in the series.

The Explorers homestand continues with game one of a three game series against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks Friday night at Lewis and Clark Park. The first pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. with the gates opening at 6:00. 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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