On a night that the Sioux City Explorers had to win, Eric Karch delivered his best performance of the season, tossing eight shutout innings to lead the Explorers to an 11-0 victory over the Kansas City T-Bones. Kyle Wren led the offense, driving in five, as Sioux City evened the series at one heading to Kansas City for Game 3.

The Sioux City Explorers offense would give their starter the lead in the bottom of the first. Kyle Wren led off with a walk and moved to third when Nate Samson singled two batters later. With runners at first and third and one out, Jeremy Hazelbaker grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Wren to make it 1-0.

It remained a one run game until the bottom of the third when the Explorers would extend their lead to two. Kansas City starter Jose Mesa, Jr., retired the first two batters of the inning, but Hazelbaker blasted a 1-0 pitch for a homerun, his first of the postseason.

Karch breezed early on, allowing just three hits and a walk through the first five frames. The T-Bones had no more than one batter reach in any of those five innings, as Karch denied them any opportunity to rally.

While their starter was in complete command, the offense would blow this game open in the bottom of the fifth. Samson led off with a base hit. Evan Korson took over for Mesa and the wheels came off.

After striking out Hazelbaker, Jose Sermo doubled bringing Samson all the way around to score. Korson got Dexture McCall to fly out, but would then walk the bases loaded before issuing a walk to drive home Sermo. With the bases loaded, Wren drilled a ball to the wall in left-center that cleared the bases, and suddenly the Sioux City Explorers had a 7-0 lead.

The Explorers would add a pair in runs in back-to-back innings starting in the bottom of the seventh. Andrew DiPiazza came on and McCall greeted him with a single. DiPiazza retired the next two batters, but Adam Sasser walked to keep the inning alive. That brought Wren to the plate, who laced a ball to the wall in right field for a triple.

In the eighth, Samson was hit by a pitch to start frame. After Hazelbaker doubled, a ground out by Sermo brought Samson home and Hazelbaker came home on another ground out to make it 11-0. That would be the final.

Eric Karch (1-0) came out after eight. He was absolutely brilliant, allowing four hits and a walk, while striking out five. Of the 109 pitches he threw, 79 went for strikes. Ryan Flores tossed a scoreless ninth to complete the shutout.

Kyle Wren finished 2-5 with a run and 5 RBI. Jeremy Hazelbaker and Jose Sermo each drove in a pair of runs.

This series now moves to Kansas City starting Saturday night. The T-Bones will send ace Tommy Collier (10-5, 3.58) to the hill in Game 3. Sioux City has not named their starter. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05.

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier