Layer Walks It off as Explorers Sweep Saltdogs
June 15, 2025 - American Association (AA)
Sioux City Explorers News Release
Abdiel Layer (right) of the Sioux City Explorers gets congratulated
(Sioux City Explorers, Credit: Tim Tushla)
SIOUX CITY, Iowa - The Sioux City Explorers (22-13) capped off a four-game sweep of the Lincoln Saltdogs (14-21) with a thrilling 4-3 walk-off win Sunday afternoon at Lewis and Clark Park. Abdiel Layer played the hero, delivering a game-winning single in the ninth to lift the Explorers to their fourth straight victory.
Just like both games of the doubleheader on Saturday, the Saltdogs saw home plate first. Danny Bautista Jr led off with a double. Two batters later, Kyle Battle singled him home.
Jared Wetherbee didn't have his best stuff for Sioux City but scratched and clawed his way through five innings. He allowed a run in the second inning but got some help in the third, thanks to the new acquisition, Armando Alvarez.
Freshly signed from the Triple-A St. Paul Saints in the Minnesota Twins organization, Alvarez delivered a devastating blow on a 1-1 pitch from Lincoln's starter Greg Loukinen and crushed a homer over the left field wall to tie the game. This was Alvarez's first big fly in an unaffiliated league.
Lincoln jumped on Wetherbee in the very next half-inning. Rolando Espinosa singled, advanced to third base on Jack Cone's single, and scored on a wild pitch to give the Saltdogs a 3-2 lead.
Loukinen didn't make it out of the fifth inning, and Wetherbee's outing finished after six. Lincoln and Sioux City went to their bullpens. Brett Matthews and Ben DeTaeye both worked through scoreless appearances, but Chase Jessee took the bulk of the relief work. The lefty out of Malone University struck out five of the six batters he faced across two scoreless innings.
With two outs in the sixth inning, the X's offense finally sparked to life. The Explorers put runners on first and second, turning the lineup over, and brought Josh Day to the plate.
The shortstop came through and smoked a single to center field, driving in Toribio and evening the contest at three a piece.
Day had a chance to give the Explorers the lead in the eighth with two on and two out. Reliever Connor Langrell worked ahead of him 0-2 and induced a fly ball to center field, ending the inning and keeping the score tied at three.
Jessee sent the Saltdogs down in order in the ninth and Dutch Landis (0-3) tried to do the same in the bottom half of the inning and send the game to extras. Sioux City loaded the bases with three consecutive hits in the bottom of the ninth and Abdiel Layer came up with a chance to walk it off.
The X's third baseman poked a 1-1 pitch into left center field, ending the game and completing the four-game sweep of the Lincoln Saltdogs. With the victory, the X's climb to nine games over .500.
Notes from the booth:
-Sioux City is now 9-3 in one run games.
-Chase Jessee worked 2.0 scoreless innings with five strikeouts.
-New addition Armando Alvarez had a three hit day Sunday and drove in four runs over the weekend including a home run Sunday.
-It was the first four game sweep at Lewis and Clark Park since the X's won five from Kansas City in 2024.
The Explorers are off on Monday June 16 but are back in action Tuesday night June 17 in game one of a three-game series against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at Newman Outdoor Stadium. The game time is set for 7:02 p.m. It will be game one of a six-game road trip for Sioux City. 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 Half-Season Tickets as well as 10-, 15-, and 25-game Flex Packs as well as group tickets. For more information, please call 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.
Images from this story
 Abdiel Layer (right) of the Sioux City Explorers gets congratulated (Tim Tushla) |
American Association Stories from June 15, 2025
- No Sweep in Gary as RailCats Top Goldeyes - Winnipeg Goldeyes
- Layer Walks It off as Explorers Sweep Saltdogs - Sioux City Explorers
- Explorers Walk off Saltdogs for Second Straight Day - Lincoln Saltdogs
- RailCats Dominate Winnipeg Goldeyes 9-1 on Father's Day - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- RedHawks Fall to DockHounds in Series Final - Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks
- Canaries Thwart Cougars Comeback Effort in 10-6 Win - Kane County Cougars
- Big Second Inning Lifts Canaries to Sixth Straight Win - Sioux Falls Canaries
- 'Hounds Fast Start Fails to Hold Up - Lake Country DockHounds
- Saltdogs Drop Doubleheader to the Explorers - Lincoln Saltdogs
- X's Sweep Doubleheader Over Lincoln - Sioux City Explorers
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