Another Tough Day at Franklin Field as Explorers defeat Milkmen 8-3.

by Marketing ROC

Another Tough Day at Franklin Field as Explorers defeat Milkmen 8-3.

By, Hannah McIlree and Jonathan Michel

Franklin, WIS- The Milwaukee Milkmen took to Franklin Field at 1 PM ready to recover from yesterday's loss. On the hill for the Milkmen was right handed pitcher Matt Solter. However, the first inning started off on a rocky start when Solter walked lead off batter L.T. Tolbert and Jared Walker hit his league-leading 6th homerun.

  

The top of the second inning seemed to be looking better for the Milkmen after Solter struck out lead off batter Sebastian Zawada, however the Explorers clapped back with another home run this time hit by Joseph Monge, making it 3-0 Explorers.

  

First baseman David Washington went yard in the bottom of the fourth and took the team lead in RBI’s, making the score 3-1 Sioux City.

  

“It felt good, it’s a tough game and we definitely wanted to come back and get a win after the last series. It felt good to help the team out,” Washington said.

  

Correa kicked off the fifth inning loudly for the Milkmen, with a shot off the barrel that cleared the right field fence comfortably and drew the Milkmen to within one. Sioux City’s hurler Patrick Ledet mowed down the rest of the Milkmen in the fifth, striking out the side. 

  

The bottom of the sixth brought the Milkmen more life when a pop fly from Washington in short left dropped in front of the Explorer’s Monge and scored a hustling Logan Trowbridge. Replacing an injured Mason Davis at shortstop, Trowbridge began the bottom of the sixth with a single to right and stole second base, which allowed him to score on Washington’s pop fly. 

  

“I think batting in the 2 spot, I can get into scoring position a lot if I’m stealing bags for our 3, 4, and 5 [hitters],” Trowbridge said.

  

After 7 innings of work and 114 pitches, the Milkmen’s Solter was relieved by Nate Hadley who surrendered a walk to Tolbert to start the 8th inning. Hadley set down two Explorers before a Trowbridge error gave ex-Milkman Jose Sermo a chance to give Sioux City the lead. Milwaukee’s Hadley struck Sermo out, keeping the Memorial Day contest deadlocked. 

  

Sebastian Zawada of Sioux City kept his now 7-game hitting streak alive but not without controversy. His fly ball to right field dropped inches outside of the foul line and Sioux City’s first base coach was ejected, disputing the call. Zawada proceeded to rip a fly ball to left but a hard bounce off the wall prevented the Explorer’s DH from reaching second base. 

  

Sioux City was not phased by the ejection and the Explorers loaded the bases after Monge and Samson reached. That put the pressure on Milkmen pitcher Karch Kowalczyk and Michael Lang grounded a Kowalczyk fastball to Trowbridge, who threw Zawada out at home, keeping the ballgame tied yet even longer. However, it was Tolbert for Sioux City who helped the visitors break through and take a 4-3 lead with an RBI single to center. Lane Milligan, Walker, and Sermo tacked more Sioux City runs on the board, with Milligan and Sermo both driving in one with respective singles; Walker’s single brought around his third and fourth RBI’s of the game. 

  

Milwaukee couldn’t muster anything in the ninth and fell to 6-6 on the season.

  

The Milkmen and Explorers will battle again on Tuesday, first pitch is slated for 6:35 PM

  

Tickets and more information at MilwaukeeMilkmen.com