Laredo 6, Sioux City 4 (Laredo leads series, 2-1) – Box
The Laredo Lemurs used a six-run fourth inning to rally from an early deficit and beat the Sioux City Explorers in game three of the championship series, 6-4. Laredo can wrap up the championship with a victory in game four tomorrow night in Sioux City.
Sioux City would jump out on top in the first inning. Explorers CF Matty Johnson led off the inning with a walk. Johnson then stole second base and moved over to third on a fly out from 1B Rene Tosoni. After DH Brock Kjeldgaard gets hit by a pitch, SS Noah Perio delivered a single to score Johnson and give Sioux City a 1-0 lead.
The Explorers would add three more runs in the second. Sioux City 3B Tommy Mendonca and C Matt Koch started the inning with back-to-back singles. Then the next batter LF Brent Keys delivered a single to plate Mendonca and give the Explorers a 2-0 lead. After that, Johnson reached base via an error by Laredo 1B Travis Denker and scored Koch to make it 3-0. Later in the inning with two down Kjeldgaard hit a single to drive home Keys and increase the Sioux City advantage to 4-0.
Laredo would now storm back with their big six-run fourth inning. Lemurs LF Ty Morrison singled to begin the rally and scored on a 2B Abel Nieves double to make it 4-1. After one out and a walk to RF Denis Phipps, Nieves came around to score on a RBI double from Denker to cut the deficit to 4-2. Then after C Phil Pohl reached base, CF Drew Martinez belted a double down the left field line to score Phipps and Denker to tie it at 4-4. An error from Keys in left field on the play plated Pohl as well to give Laredo a 5-4 advantage. Martinez would later come home on a wild pitch to increase the Lemurs lead to 6-4.
What an incredible effort from Laredo reliever Ryan Beckman. Beckman tossed seven innings of scoreless relief allowing only a walk and three hits while fanning seven batters. Beckman notched the win while John Brebbia picked up his fourth save of the postseason.
Martinez led the Lemurs offense going 1-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI.
Fans can watch select American Association games live and for free at www.americanassociationbaseball.tv.
