In The News
Sioux City Takes Sunday Rubber Match
Sunday, June 04, 2006
St. Joseph, MO—The Blacksnakes (6-17) were hoping Saturday’s win would spark a winning streak. Sioux City (12-11) had other ideas and held the ‘Snakes offense to just four hits in the 3-1 win. St. Joe has Monday off before opening a six-game homestand Tuesday night with Sioux Falls at Phil Welch Stadium.
Sioux City struck in the first for a run as the first three batters reached against Kupper. Dan Meier singled in Alex Llanos for the first of his two RBI hits and a 1-0 lead.
St. Joe would get even with an unearned run in the third. With two outs, Scooter Jordan laid down a bunt single that Keppinger threw off Jordan and down the line, allowing him to reach second. Ben Thomas doubled Jordan in with a drive off the center field wall to tie the game at one.
But Keppinger allowed just two more baserunners—and both erased on pick off and double play grounder—as the ‘Snakes were held to their lowest hit total (four) of the season for the second time in the series.
In the fifth, the Explorers took the lead for good at 2-1 on Ryan Gripp’s bloop single to left. Dan Meier drove in an insurance run with a double in the seventh for his second run batted in for the 3-1 final.
St. Joe’s Dustin Kupper (1-1) worked in-and-out of trouble all day, but allowed just two runs in six innings for the loss while Billy Keppinger (2-2) pitched eight innings without an earned run for Sioux City.
The ‘Snakes head home after an off-day Monday for a six-game homestand beginning Tuesday with Sioux Falls at Phil Welch. Tuesday’s game time is 7:05pm and Donovan Graves (1-2) starts for St. Joe. Tony Cogan (1-0) will go for the Canaries in the opener. Gates open at 6pm at the ballpark and our broadcast begins at 6:45pm with the Heartland Health Pre-Game Show.