Sioux City took a back and forth game from the RailCats with a 5-4 decision on Tuesday night. The Explorers improved to 27-43 while the RailCats dropped to 40-30.
Each starter held their opponent scoreless through the first three. Sioux City had two runners on in each of the first two frames, but could not muster a run.
The fourth inning saw each team earn some offense. The RailCats had runners on first and third when Christian Vitters looped a base hit to left-center to take a 1-0 lead. After Cristian Guerrero lined out, Drew Martinez singled to left to score Brian Kolb and make it 2-0.
In the bottom of the inning, Peter Barrows walked with one out and scored on Bryan Pounds’ double to left center. That made it 2-1 after four innings.
Sioux City tied the game at two with a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of Sam Judah in the fifth. Eliezer Mesa led off the inning with a single, moved to second on a groundout by Anthony Kaskkaden and stole third before scoring on Judah’s fly ball.
The Explorers grabbed the lead with three straight hits in the bottom of the sixth. Alberto Espinosa doubled Bryan Pounds and Leugim Barroso home with a shot to right-center to take a 4-2 lead for Sioux City.
Gary SouthShore came right back with a leadoff home run by Ryan Babineau, his third of the year, in the top of the seventh. The RailCats continued their rally back against Richard Salazar with a pair of hits and an error on Anthony Kaskkaden. Brian Kolb’s single to right-center tied the game at four.
In the bottom of the seventh, Alain Quijano allowed a leadoff single to Austin Gallagher then was removed from the ball game. Taylor Sewitt entered in his place and with one out allowed an RBI double to Peter Barrows to take a 5-4 lead for Sioux City.
Quijano suffered his fifth loss of the season and first against Sioux City in four starts. On Tuesday he allowed five runs on 11 hits and one walk in six innings.
Richard Salazar picked up his third win of the year against the RailCats. Salazar surrendered four runs, three earned, on 10 hits and one walk in seven innings. He struck out three RailCats.
Jimmer Kennedy delivered two innings of relief to pick up his first save of the season.
For the second straight night, at least eight RailCats recorded a hit. Brian Kolb went 3-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI, both Nick Liles and Christian Vitters had a pair of hits as well.
The RailCats stranded 10 runners on Tuesday, the fourth time in their last five games that they stranded at least 10 baserunners.
The RailCats complete their six-game road trip tomorrow at Sioux City. LHP James Adkins (0-2, 4.68 ERA) will start for the RailCats, the Explorers will send LHP Ryan Lucero (1-1, 4.42 ERA) to the mound. The radio broadcast will begin at 7:00 p.m. on 89.1 FM The Lakeshore and www.Railcatsbaseball.com.
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