By: Will Glocker, Sioux City Explorers

Sioux City, Iowa (September 5th, 2022) – The 2022 Sioux City Explorers season came to an end with a 10-1 loss to the Lincoln Saltdogs. With the result the Explorers miss the postseason and the Lincoln Saltdogs advance to their first playoff appearance since 2017. 

Lincoln got to the X’s in the first. Justin Byrd led off for the Saltdogs with a walk. Byrd later came in to score after Ryan Long grounded into a double play. Jason Rogers reached on a two out walk. Rogers scored on a Luke Roskam single and Roskam scored on  Josh Altmann’s double. Altmann later scored to put the Saltdogs up 4-0.

The Saltdogs added another in the second. Hunter Clanin led off the inning by reaching third on an error. Clanin scored after a Rayder Ascanio single giving Lincoln a 5-0 lead. 

X’s starter Zach Hedges (4-8) took the loss as he allowed five runs, four earned in an inning and two-thirds. He surrendered six hits and two walks while also collecting a strikeout. 

In the fifth another two runs were added by the Saltdogs. Roskam ;ed off with a single. Skyler Weber hit a sacrifice fly to score Roskam. Welington Dotel then tripled to score Weber and put the Saltdogs up 7-0.

Lincoln starter, John Bezdicek (2-4) picked up the win with five innings of no run baseball. Bezdicek allowed just two hits on five strikeouts and two walks.

The Saltdogs scored three more in the eighth. Dotel led off with a walk, Clanin hit a two run homer then Byrd got on with a single, advanced to third and scored on a Ryan Long single. Making it 10-0 Lincoln. 

The Explorers in the ninth got one run. Gabe Snyder singled with one out and advanced to third on an Ademar Rifaela single and error. Snyder scored on a Dylan Kelly groundout giving the game its final score 10-1. 

With the loss Sioux City missed the postseason for the first time since 2017 and finished the season with a 49-51 record.