Sugar Land Explodes For 11 Runs In Final Three Frames To Take Series Opener
The Sugar Land Space Cowboys (8-13) rallied for five runs in the seventh and six runs in the ninth to down the Reno Aces (10-11) 12-6 on Tuesday night at Greater Nevada Field. Reno jumped out to a lead in the bottom of the first inning on a walk, wild
The Sugar Land Space Cowboys (8-13) rallied for five runs in the seventh and six runs in the ninth to down the Reno Aces (10-11) 12-6 on Tuesday night at Greater Nevada Field.
Reno jumped out to a lead in the bottom of the first inning on a walk, wild pitch and single. It was the only run allowed by RHP Austin Hansen, who gave up just three more base runners over his four innings of work, striking out two.
Sugar Land tied the game in the top of the third when Dixon Machado worked a lead-off walk and raced in to score on a two-out triple from Bligh Madris, leveling the game at 1-1. The Aces moved back in front on back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the fifth, but RHP Jayden Murray (W, 2-2) responded by retiring the side to strand another runner at second.
Another day, another Space Cowboys triple.
— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) April 26, 2023
Bligh Madris drives in Dixon Machado with this three bagger to tie the game at 1-1! pic.twitter.com/l46Xo6Wlti
The first big inning of the night came in the seventh for the Space Cowboys. Grae Kessinger, Machado and Pedro León all walked on five pitches or less from LHP Jesse Biddle (L, 0-1), loading the bases up for Michael Brantley. The Major League rehabber laced a single into left field, driving in a pair to push the Space Cowboys ahead 3-2. Madris followed with a single to add on another run and after a flyout, Korey Lee doubled down the left-field line, plating two more to widen the Space Cowboys advantage to 6-2.
🚨MICHAEL BRANTLEY FOR THE LEAD!!!! 🚨
— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) April 26, 2023
His two-RBI single give the Space Cowboys the lead in the seventh! #ReadyToRide pic.twitter.com/Z1lFXFTD0M
Now it's Korey's turn!
— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) April 26, 2023
A two-RBI double widens the Sugar Land advantage to 6-2 in the seventh! pic.twitter.com/oI16Kct2Nz
In the bottom of the seventh, Murray found himself in a two-out, bases-loaded jam, but struck out Diego Castillo to preserve the four-run lead. Murray spun 3.2 innings, giving up just one run with three walks and five strikeouts.
The Space Cowboys put the game away in the ninth. Michael Sandle began the frame with a single and Madris walked, bringing up JJ Matijevic, who doubled in Sandle. Lee then singled in another run and Joe Perez doubled to deep center, moving the Space Cowboys ahead 9-2. A fielder’s choice by Luke Berryhill tacked on another run and Kessinger singled home another to chase RHP Jandel Gustave. In his second plate appearance of the inning, Sandle hit a sacrifice fly to left, giving Sugar Land a 12-2 lead. LHP Blake Taylor finished up the ninth for the Space Cowboys and fell victim to a pair of soft hits that drove in four runs for Reno before ultimately securing the final out.
Sugar Land continues their six-game series against Reno on Wednesday afternoon at Greater Nevada Field. RHP Jimmy Endserby (1-2, 3.75) takes the hill for the Space Cowboys against Aces’ RHP Brandon Pfaat (1-1, 3.54) for a 2:05 pm CT first pitch. The game can be heard on ESPN 92.5 FM or online here.
*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.