Sioux City 12, St. Paul 1 (Sioux City leads the series, 2-0) — Box Score
The Sioux City Explorers took a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five series with the St. Paul Saints with a commanding 12-1 win on Thursday night.
The Saints had just one hit in the game and it was a solo home run by 1B Angelo Songco in the top of the second inning. Sioux City’s starting pitcher and American Association Pitcher of the Year Patrick Johnson earned the win as he worked 7.2 innings and struck out eight batters. He issued just four walks and the one Songco blast.
Reliever Jimmer Kennedy finished things off for the Explorers as he worked the final 1.1 innings and walked just two batters while striking out one.
The Explorers took the lead in the bottom of the second when LF Brent Keys singled home 2B Ryan Court and 3B Tommy Mendonca scored on a sacrifice fly from CF Matty Johnson. Sioux City extended that lead with six more runs in the third. Court added his second RBI on his second hit with a double that plated SS Noah Perio. Court and Mendonca both scored on a double by C Matt Koch and Koch scored when Johnson doubled.
Johnson and Keys wrapped up the rally when they scored on single by RF Michael Lang. The Explorers added one run in the sixth, another in the seventh and two more in the eighth to reach the final margin.
Lang led the way at the plate as he went 4-for-5 with three RBI and Koch went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Court, Mendonca and Keys each finished the game with two hits.
Game three is set for 7:05 p.m. Saturday in St. Paul.
Laredo 4, Wichita 1 (Laredo leads the series, 2-0) — Box Score
The Laredo Lemurs took the second game of their series with the Wichita Wingnuts 4-1 to take a 2-0 lead in the 1st round of the American Association playoffs.
The Lemurs jumped out in front in the second inning when RF Denis Phipps scored as CF Drew Martinez bounced out to first base. That score held until Phipps scored again in the sixth inning – this time on a single by 1B Travis Denker.
Laredo doubled their lead in the bottom of the seventh inning as 3B Juan Silverio scored on a single by LF Ty Morrison and the C Phil Pohl scored when 2B Abel Nieves grounded out in the next at bat. The Wingnuts scored their only run of the game in the top of the eighth inning as LF Harrison Kain scored on a single by CF Nick Van Stratten.
For the game, Phipps, Denker and Pohl each had two hits and for the Wingnuts, SS Leo Vargas went 2-for-3.
On the mound, starting pitcher Matt Sergey was tabbed as the winner as he went six scoreless innings and allowed just a pair of hits. He also struck out seven batters. Reliever John Brebbia worked the final five outs to record the save.
Game three is set for Saturday in Wichita.
