The Sioux City Explorers found themselves trailing 5-2 through four innings on Monday, but Manager Steve Montgomery’s team is famous for never calling it a day. They did not do so on this night either, scoring five runs from the sixth through the eighth innings on their way to the 7-5 victory over the St. Paul Saints. Six different players had an RBI and seven scored runs.

After a scoreless first inning, the Explorers would get a run in the top of the second. John Nogowski singled to get the frame started and moved to third on a base hit by Tyler Ogle. A wild pitch brought Nogowoski home and Sioux City was on top 1-0.

The Saints responded with three in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead. Anthony Gallas tied the score with one swing when he barely cleared the wall with a shot into left field for his second home run of the season. Tony Thomas followed by drawing a walk and moved to third when Tim Colwell doubled into right field. A single by Maxx Garett scored Thomas, and Colwell came home on a ground out by Tanner Vavra to make it 3-1.

In the fourth, Sioux City got one of those runs back. Jason Creasy struck out the first two batters of the frame, but couldn’t seem to get the third. LeVon Washington singled to keep the frame alive and Brandon Alvarez followed with a base hit to put two on with two outs. That brought Dylan Kelly to the plate, who lined a single down the line in left to score Washington.

Once again, St. Paul responded in the bottom half of the inning. Gallas walked to get it started and moved to second with Colwell walked two batters later. After Garrett struck out, Vavra blooped a single into center that scored Gallas. The center fielder misplayed the ball, allowing Colwell to score and it was a three-run Saints lead.

The Explorers did a little responding of their own in the top of the sixth. Alvarez singled with one down and moved to second on a ground out. Needing a clutch two-hit, Josh Vitters delivered, singling into center to bring home Alvarez. The Explorers had a chance to score another run when Michael Lang doubled and it looked like Vitters would score easily. However, the relay of Colwell to Nate Hanson to Garrett nailed the runner at the plate to keep it a two-run lead for St. Paul.

In the seventh, Sioux City grabbed the lead. Jayce Ray led off the inning by crushing his third homer of the season over the right field wall. His third hit of the game. Nate Samson followed with a single and he moved to third when Ogle doubled two batters later. Caleb Thielbar relieved for Connor Little but he could not stop the rally. Washington greeted the lefty with a base hit that scored Samson and Alvarez gave his team the lead when he plated Ogle with a single. That made it 6-5.

Sioux City added an insurance run in the eighth. Vitters singled to start the inning and was sacrificed to second. He scored on a base hit by Samson to make it 7-5.

Jayce Ray finished 3-5 with a run and an RBI for Sioux City. Five Explorers hitters went 2-5 and two went 2-4 as the team rapped out 17-hits. Tanner Vavra had 2-RBI and Anthony Gallas 2-runs scored for St. Paul.

These two teams will face off against each other tomorrow. Mark Hamburger (3-1, 2.63) will go for St. Paul. He will be opposed by Kurt Heyer (1-1, 2.14). First pitch is 7:05.

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier