Monarchs Fall in Series, Split Doubleheader with Explorers
Sioux City, IA — There were 14 innings of baseball on Sunday afternoon as the Monarchs grabbed the first game, 5-2, but fell in the second contest with a 5-1 defeat.
Game 1
After three empty innings, the Monarchs opened the game’s scoring with a three-run fourth frame to jump in front. Kansas City got the bats started when Sahid Valenzuela singled followed by a Hudson Head walk and a Luken Baker base hit. The bases were juiced with no outs and KC was in a prime position to strike first. That’s exactly what they did as Trevor Boone drove a ground ball into left field that brought home a pair of runners. The Monarchs had the bases loaded once again and Luken Baker scored off a Brady Lindsly walk.
The Explorers found a response in the sixth frame when Austin Davis started the inning with a double. Davis stole two bases and crossed home plate for their first run. Shortly after, Monarchs left-hander, Sawyer Allen threw a wild pitch and Zac Vooletich scored to cut the deficit to one.
Jimmy Endersby started the day on the bump and threw two punch outs in five innings. The KC closer, Tyler Myrick recorded his fourth save of the season when he shoved in two K’s in the final frame.
Just when Sioux City was closing in, the Monarchs reestablished a three-run advantage. In the seventh inning, Peyton Holt grabbed a base hit and Austin Callahan registered a knock to put two runners on base. Later in the frame, the bases were loaded and Baker cranked a liner into left field to score Holt. Then Boone lifted a sac fly to add the fifth and final run of the game.
Game 2
The series was up for grabs, but Sioux City got off to a fast start in the second game. Davis tallied his second double of the afternoon and Vooletich sent him home on an RBI single in the first inning.
Sioux City kept finding ways to score runs as they grabbed one in the third and fourth. Brodie Kresser sent a solo homer to left field and then Jackson Van De Brake lifted a sac fly to score D’Shawn Knowles in the fourth inning.
The lone run for the Monarchs came in the top of the fifth when Saul Garza singled and Holt walked. With two outs on the board, Valenzuela put down his 17th RBI to bring in Garza. Unfortunately that was the only time the Monarchs would cross home plate.
It was a 3-1 deficit for KC, but Sioux City added two insurance runs in the bottom of the frame to seal a four-run victory and take the series.
Kansas City currently has a narrow three-game lead over the Sioux Falls Canaries in the West Division. They will look to build on that lead as they return home for a series against the Winnipeg Goldeyes starting on Monday night.
