Home Run Derby Fuels Sky Sox Sweep

The Colorado Springs Sky Sox completed the four-game sweep of the Iowa Cubs, using five home runs to pull away with an 8-3 victory in front of 3,548 Sunday afternoon at Security Service Field.

The Sky Sox (37-24) jumped on top in the bottom of the second inning. Garrett Cooper launched his ninth home run on the second pitch of the inning to straightaway center field, temporarily tying him for the team lead with Ryan Cordell. Two batters later, Kirk Nieuwenhuis cranked his second home run of the season and second solo long ball of the inning to the right of the centerfield batter's eye.
Iowa (26-38) took the lead with three runs during the fifth and sixth innings, but the Sox responded quickly in the bottom of the sixth with two more home runs to take a three-run lead. After Nate Orf doubled to the left field corner, Cordell re-took the team lead with a two-run shot just above the yellow line in dead center field for his 10^th long ball and third in as many games.
Nieuwenhuis added some insurance three batters later, clubbing his second homer of the day midway up the batter's eye, scoring Ivan De Jesus. The Sox right fielder eclipsed his season total in the first six innings, entering Sunday's matinee with one home run back on May 5 in Oklahoma City.
Cooper concluded the five-homer afternoon in the eighth, hitting his second home run of the day to right-centerfield. His two-run shot scored Cordell, gave the first baseman 53 RBI in 2017 and joined Cordell with 10 home runs apiece.
The Sky Sox hit the road for a quick four-game road trip to West Tennessee. Right-hander Michael Blazek (0-1, 3.41) takes the mound in Tuesday's 6:05 p.m. MT series opener, looking to bounce back from his first loss of 2017 against the Memphis Redbirds at AutoZone Park.