by Connor Ryan, Sioux City Explorers

Sioux City, Iowa (July 6th, 2022) – The Sioux Falls Canaries used late inning dramatics to sweep a doubleheader from the Sioux City Explorers on Wednesday, taking game one 5-2 and game two 4-3 in eight innings. 

Game One: Sioux Falls 5 – Sioux City 2

Game one featured a pitchers duel between Zach Hedges and Tyler Garkow at the bird cage. 

Garkow (1-3) tossed six innings of two run ball, scattering five hits and striking out three while not walking a batter while earning his first victory of the season. 

The only damage Sioux City did off of Garkow was in the third when Trey Martin singled in Tyler Rando with two outs, after Rando led off the inning with a double. And in the fourth when Danry Vasquez homered to lead off the frame and give Sioux City a 2-0 lead. 

Sioux Falls answered that run in the fourth when Gavin Lavalley grounded out to second with a runner at third and one out to cut the lead in half, 2-1. 

Hedges received a no decision, he went five and one-thirds innings allowing three runs on four hits with two strikeouts and a walk. 

He departed in the sixth after back to back singles. Kevin Lenik (1-1) entered the game and struck out the first batter before giving up a two out single to Lavalley and a three run home run to Aaron Takacs as the Canaries took a 5-2 lead. 

Riley Ferrell (8) picked up the save with a perfect ninth. 

Game Two: Sioux Falls 4 – Sioux City 3, Final/8

The second game was dominated by the theme of starting pitching and home runs as both starters went six, and each team hit a pair of homers. 

The first run of the game however was not scored via a home run as Chase Harris who led off the contest with a single, scored on Trey Martin’s double handing the Explorers a 1-0 lead. 

However the Canaries in the second took the lead on a two-run homer from Shamoy Christopher and added to it in the third on Jabari Henry’s solo shot, going ahead 3-1. 

But it was the Explorers turn to use the long ball. Solo shots from Gabe Snyder in the fourth and Zack Kone in the fifth tied the game at three. 

The game remained tied until extra innings. Sioux City was unable to score in the top of the eighth after Chase Harris, the automatic runner at second, was thrown out trying to tag up to third on a foul pop out to the first baseman. 

It took Sioux Falls just one batter to walk it off as Henry singled to right-center field, scoring Wyatt Ulrich from second to win the game for Sioux Falls. 

The series finale will take place on Thursday at 7:05 pm in Sioux Falls. Sioux City will send right hander Tyler Beardsley (2-2, 4.83) to the mound, the Canaries have yet to announce their starter.