Explorers' Offense Erupts Early in Dominant 13-2 Win
AA Sioux City Explorers

Explorers' Offense Erupts Early in Dominant 13-2 Win

Published on May 16, 2026 under American Association (AA)
Sioux City Explorers News Release


ROSEMONT, IL - Sioux City (1-1) wasted no time lighting up the scoreboard on Saturday night, exploding for nine runs across the first three innings on its way to a commanding 13-2 victory over Chicago (1-1) at Impact Field.

Similar to Friday, the Explorers set the tone immediately. Henry George opened the game with a walk, and two pitches later, Zac Vooletich crushed a homer to left on an 0-2 count, clearing the scoreboard to give the Explorers a quick 2-0 lead.

The inning didn't slow down there. Braulio Vásquez singled, then stole both second and third before scoring on a wild pitch to make it 3-0. It marked the second straight night Sioux City jumped out to a multi-run lead in the opening frame.

In the second, Jackson Van De Brake launched a solo home run to left, stretching the lead to 4-0 and continuing the Explorers' early barrage.

Chicago answered in the bottom half when C.J. Cepicky doubled home Brian Fuentes with two outs, trimming the deficit to 4-1. The run stemmed from a leadoff walk issued by Sioux City starter Reed Butz, but the left-hander limited the damage and settled back in.

Sioux City blew the game open in the third.

Elliot Good ripped a two-run double to make it 7-1, and just two pitches later, Zach Denton followed with a two-run double of his own, pushing the lead to 9-1. The X's reached eight hits by that point, matching their total from the previous night.

The offensive outburst chased Chicago starter Regi Grace Jr. after just two innings. He was tagged for six hits, seven earned runs, and two home runs in a short outing.

Explorers manager Steve Montgomery praised his lineup's approach, saying, "We got some balls up in the zone and weren't missing."

In the fifth, Van De Brake added to his big night with a sacrifice fly to right. Dillon Tatum scored on a beautiful head-first slide, avoiding the tag to make it 10-1 Explorers.

Butz worked out of trouble once again in the bottom half of the frame, this time with the bases loaded. Chicago threatened, but Butz induced a sharp grounder to Zane Denton, who stepped on third and fired to first to complete a clutch inning-ending double play.

It capped a stellar X's debut for Butz, who went five innings, allowing just one run on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

Montgomery added, "Just his change of speed was impressive, he continued to keep the ball down."

The offense continued rolling in the sixth.

Dillon Tatum ripped an RBI double to make it 12-1, becoming the sixth different Explorer to drive in a run. Moments later, Elliot Good collected his third RBI of the night with a groundout to third, scoring Tatum and stretching the lead to 13-1.

Sioux City turned to the bullpen for the final frames, and the quartet of Nate Gercken, Trey Morrill, Rob Hughes, and Julio Rosario handled the rest.

The only blemish came in the seventh, when Giovanni DiGiacomo homered to left off Morrill to make it 13-2. It was the lone run allowed by the bullpen on the night.

Sioux City goes for the series victory on Sunday afternoon. First pitch for game three is scheduled for 3:00 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. on KSCJ 94.9 FM and 1360 AM. Fans can also watch every American Association game this season on the league's streaming platform at aabaseball.tv.

The club will celebrate opening night at Lewis and Clark Park on Friday night, May 22 at 6:55 p.m., against Lincoln. Ticket packages for the 2026 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 updates.

Notes from the Booth with DV:

-The X's scored in the first inning for the fifth straight game including the preseason.

-Jackson Mayo and Jackson Van De Brake picked up their first pro hits and RBI.

-Nate Gercken struck out his 211th batter as an Explorer and appeared in his 223 game.

-The X's stole two bases and now have five in two games.

-Braulio Vasquez had a four-hit night.

-Jackson Van De Brake's first pro hit was a home run.

By: Andrew Della Piana

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American Association Stories from May 16, 2026


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