Explorers Take Opener, Milkmen Crush RedHawks

Robert Pannier July 7, 2023

Photo Credit: Jennifer Andreachi/Field Dreams Photography

American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition, Rob Pannier recaps the two great games in the American Association on Thursday, including the Milwaukee Milkmen crushing the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, and the Sioux City Explorers edge the Cleburne Railroaders in the opener of their series.

Game Recaps for Thursday

Sierra Double Lifts Explorers

Miguel Sierra doubled with the bases loaded, driving home two in the bottom of the sixth to give the Sioux City Explorers a 6-5 victory over the Cleburne Railroaders. Sioux City had jumped out to a four-run lead only to see Cleburne battle back to tie the score, but Sierra became the hero. That made a winner of Francys Peguero. Sean Rackoski came on in the ninth to earn his ninth save of the year.

Sioux City jumped out in top in the bottom of the first, scoring four runs on four hits. The team sent 10 men to the plate, with Tyler Rando delivering the big blow of the inning, a two-run double. Vince Fernandez and Daniel Perez also drove home runs in the frame. Cleburne cut the deficit in half in the third on a two-run single by Zach Nehrir and tied the score in the fifth when Blaze Brothers hit a two-run homer in his first game for the Railroaders. The game did not remain tied for very long, however, as Miguel Ausasa walked the bases loaded before Sierra doubled to left. Cleburne added a run in the ninth on an Alex Jackson single, but left the tying run at third.

Brothers had two hits, two RBI, and two runs scored in his Cleburne debut. Nehrir also had two hits and two RBI. Sierra had two hits and two RBI for Sioux City and Rando drove in two.

Sioux City Explorers Recap by Austin Thomas

Boxscore

Milkmen Crush RedHawks

The Milwaukee Milkmen recorded 17 hits and six walks to crush the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks on Thursday, 15-1. Every player in the starting lineup had at least one hit for Milwaukee and Aaron Hill and Bryan Torres each drove in four. That made a winner of Kyle Mora, who allowed one run in six innings to earn his fourth victory of the year.

Milwaukee took the lead in the first inning on a two-run single by Hill. Two innings later, an error by Alec Olund proved to be costly, as that loaded the bases for Reggie Pruitt, who hit a sacrifice fly. After a single by Juan Echevarria drove home another run, Bryan Torres drilled a three-run homer to the deepest part of Newmann Outdoor Field to make it 7-0.

Fargo-Moorhead scored a run in the bottom of the third on a triple by Evan Alexander and a single by Correlle Prime, but this was all Milkmen after that, as the team responded with eight unanswered runs, scoring two in the fourth, three in the fifth, two in the sixth, and one more in the seventh. Torres added his second home run of the game, a solo shot in the fifth, and Hill hit a solo homerun in the seventh.

Three Stars of the Night

No. 3 – Aaron Hill (Milwaukee Milkmen) 4-6, 3 R, 4 RBI, HR

No. 2 – Bryan Torres (Milwaukee Milkmen) 2-4, 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 2 HR

No. 1 – Kyle Mora (Milwaukee Milkmen) 6.0 IP, 9 H, ER, BB, 4 K

American Association Daily Notes

Milwaukee Milkmen infielder Bryan Torres is 6-9 over his last two games… Milkmen right-hander Juan Echevarria was forced to DH on Thursday, but went to-five with a run scored and an RBI.