Rally Falls Short In 15-7 Defeat

The Colorado Springs Sky Sox scored seven runs in the middle innings, but the Memphis Redbirds struck early to take game three of the four-game series, 15-7, in front of 6,727 at Security Service Field Sunday afternoon.

Colorado Springs (80-56) cracked the scoreboard for the first time in the fourth inning. Ivan De Jesus led off with a triple into the left field corner and came in to score one batter later when Chris Colabello lifted a sacrifice fly to the warning track in center field. In the three games against Memphis this series, Colabello is 6-for-9 with three runs scored and four RBI.
The Sox scored a pair of runs in the fifth inning, cutting the deficit to 13-3. Yadiel Rivera led off with a double, advanced to third base on a Lucas Erceg single and scored on a wild pitch from Memphis starter Matt Pearce. Kirk Nieuwenhuis added a RBI on a groundout to first base, scoring Erceg.
The first six batters reached safely as part of a four-run sixth inning. With the bases loaded, René García lined a two-run single up the middle to plate Colabello and Nate Orf. Rivera lined a single to left field to score Mauricio Dubón and Erceg grounded his second hit in as many at-bats past Bruce Caldwell at second to score Garcia and cut the deficit to 13-7.
The 2017 regular season comes to a close Monday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. MT, when RHP Tim Dillard (3-2, 5.43 ERA) faces RHP Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.45 ERA) for a Labor Day matinee. Security Service Federal Credit Union presents the Shirt Off Our Backs giveaway, where the jerseys of both Manager Rick Sweet and the Sky Sox starting lineup will be raffled off throughout the game.