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Offense Explodes As Space Cowboys Win Their First Triple-A National Championship

Shay Whitcomb’s 3-For-5 Night Earns Him MVP Honors
By Amanda Perry/Space Cowboys
September 29, 2024

For the first time in franchise history, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (96-59) are Triple-A National Champions as they defeated the Omaha Storm Chasers (91-61) in the winner-takes-all Triple-A National Championship game on Saturday night at Las Vegas Ballpark by a score of 13-6. The Space Cowboys were the first

For the first time in franchise history, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (96-59) are Triple-A National Champions as they defeated the Omaha Storm Chasers (91-61) in the winner-takes-all Triple-A National Championship game on Saturday night at Las Vegas Ballpark by a score of 13-6.

The Space Cowboys were the first to attack in the opening frame game after three consecutive singles loaded the bases up for Trey Cabbage. On the second pitch he saw from RHP Luinder Avila, Cabbage lined it to deep right, directly to outfielder Tyler Gentry for the out. Jesús Bastidas tagged up and scored from third base to put up the first run of the night for Sugar Land. Avila struck out the next two Space Cowboy hitters to end the frame.

In the bottom of the second, Quincy Hamilton led off with a single on a line drive to left. Brice Matthews then tapped a slider back to the pitcher. Avila fielded the ball and threw it to second to attempt to get the out there, but his throw was wild as it sailed into the outfield, allowing Hamilton to reach third and Matthews to slide into second safely. Omar Narváez then came up to the plate and on the fifth pitch of the at-bat, he slapped a single into right-center for a base hit, driving in Hamilton and Matthews for two more runs. After two, the Space Cowboys led 3-0.

LHP Colton Gordon retired six of the first seven Omaha Storm Chasers he saw, including striking out the side in the top of the second. Despite the solid two first frames, the southpaw found some trouble in the third after getting the first out. Cam Devanney slammed an opposite-field solo shot to put Omaha on the board. A couple of singles put two more on base before Gordon got the second out on a flyout from Drew Waters. However, Brian O’Keefe took the lead from Sugar Land on a three-run homer to straightaway center to put the Storm Chasers up 4-3. Gordon gave up another single before escaping the frame on a flyout to left.

Sugar Land loaded up the bases in the bottom half of the third on a single, a walk and a fielding error to bring Narváez up to face LHP Austin Cox (L, 0-1). The catcher worked the at-bat until the ninth pitch, when he earned a walk to force in the tying run. With two outs, and the Storm Chasers bringing in RHP Eric Cerantola to face Pedro León, the Omaha reliever allowed the go-ahead run with another bases-loaded walk. Two pitches later, Shay Whitcomb cleared the bases with a double to the left-center wall, driving in three more to break the game wide open and put the Space Cowboys up 8-4.

After RHP Nick Hernandez (W, 1-0) hurled a scoreless top of the fourth, Cooper Hummel smacked a solo home run 439 feet to right-center field, tacking on another run for Sugar Land. Later in the frame, Matthews followed suit, hitting the first home run of his Triple-A career to extend the Space Cowboys’ lead to 10-4.

With RHP Ray Gaither on the mound in the fifth, a fielding error allowed Waters to reach first, and O’Keefe’s second home run of the night got two back for the Storm Chasers. Nevertheless, the Space Cowboys pushed ahead when a single and a walk put two on for Hummel, who made a bid for another home run, coming up just short for a double to send one home. Tommy Sacco Jr. singled to score Cabbage and move Hummel to third. Hamilton then capped off the inning with a groundout to give Hummel enough time to race home for a 13-6 Sugar Land lead.

RHP Logan VanWey, who had come in for the last out of the top of the fifth, worked around two men on base with no outs in the sixth by getting a double play and a flyout to end the frame. RHP Forrest Whitley struck out two while facing one above the minimum in the seventh. In the top of the eighth, RHP Luis Contreras found himself in a bases-loaded jam with one out, but the righty got a three-pitch strikeout and a groundout to send the game to the bottom of the eighth.

With three outs remaining, RHP Wander Suero took the mound and got the first two outs with ease before allowing a single. With Gentry at the plate, Suero got him to an 0-2 count before the Storm Chaser sent a cutter high to shallow right field, with Hamilton positioning himself under the ball for the third and final out to clinch the Championship win.

Sugar Land will begin the 2025 season as reigning Triple-A National Champions on March 28 at home against the Oklahoma City Baseball Club.

ABOUT THE SUGAR LAND SPACE COWBOYS:

The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros and compete in the Pacific Coast League. They began play as the Astros Triple-A affiliate in 2021 and began playing under the Space Cowboys brand in 2022. The Space Cowboys play at Constellation Field, located at the corner of Hwy-6 and US-90 Alternate in Sugar Land, Texas. Follow the team on Twitter (@SLSpaceCowboys), Instagram (@slspacecowboys), Facebook (SLSpaceCowboys) and their official website (slspacecowboys.com). Fans can purchase full-season and partial-season plans, as well as single-game tickets, by visiting slspacecowboys.com/tickets.

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