Laredo 12, Sioux City 5 (Laredo wins series, 3-1) — Box Score
The Laredo Lemurs claimed their first American Association Championship with a 12-5 win against the Sioux City Explorers in the fourth game of the American Association Championship series. After dropping the first game of the series, the Lemurs won three in a row to win the Championship – giving the Explorers their only three-game losing streak of the season.
Sunday’s game was a wild, high scoring affair and the action picked up right from the start. The Lemurs and the Explorers each tallied runs in the first inning and the Lemurs tacked on two more on back-to-back RBI base hits from LF Ty Morrison and 2B Abel Nievesin the second. Sioux City added a run in the bottom of the second as well on a LF Brent Keys RBI single.
The Lemurs moved ahead 4-2 in the third inning after 1B Travis Denker scored on a CF Drew Martinez single. Sioux City scratched out another run in the fourth inning as RF Michael Lang singled to plate Keys.
Laredo put some distance between themselves and Sioux City in the fifth with a three-run home run by 3B Juan Silverio. The Explorers’ DH Brock Kjeldgaard responded with a solo shot of his own in the bottom of the frame to get within three runs but Sioux City never got any closer than that.
The Lemurs added another run in the sixth and four more to put the game out of reach in the top of the ninth. Sioux City scored their final run of the night on a 2B Ryan Court single in the bottom of the seventh.
For the game, Laredo racked up 19 hits and both Nieves and Martinez had four apiece. Morrison, Denker and Silverio each added three. The Explorers tallied 12 hits and were led by Keys who went 3-for-4 with an RBI.
On the bump, Reliever Luis De La Cruz earned the win for working 1.2 innings and allowing one run on one hit while striking out a pair of batters. Reliever John Brebbia worked the final eight outs without allowing a run on three hits to record the save.
Both teams were making their American Association Championship Series debuts.
Fans can watch select American Association games live and for free at www.americanassociationbaseball.tv.
