Whitcomb Walks It Off To Top Aviators 5-4
With the game tied in the ninth inning, Shay Whitcomb delivered the first walk-off victory of the season for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (3-3) as they took down the Las Vegas Aviators (1-4) 5-4 at Constellation Field. In the bottom of the ninth with the score level at 4-4,
With the game tied in the ninth inning, Shay Whitcomb delivered the first walk-off victory of the season for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (3-3) as they took down the Las Vegas Aviators (1-4) 5-4 at Constellation Field.
In the bottom of the ninth with the score level at 4-4, Corey Julks led off the frame with a walk. Will Wagner bounced a grounder to Aviators’ shortstop Max Schuemann, where it deflected off his glove and slowly rolled into center field, allowing Wagner to reach first and Julks to race to third. Whitcomb rocketed a sweeper from Aviators RHP Tyler Ferguson’s (L, 0-1) into left field, allowing Julks to jog home and score the game-winning run.
BRING OUT THE GATORADE COOLERS BECAUSE WE JUST WALKED IT OFF pic.twitter.com/ZCVOl9XzNU
— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) April 5, 2024
Whitcomb’s walk-off hit was a missile off the bat with an exit velocity of 104.3 miles-per-hour. He was the only Space Cowboy to record a multi-hit game and had two RBIs on the night.
The Space Cowboys struck first when they loaded the bases with no outs against Aviators’ starter Jack O’Laughlin. A Whitcombsacrifice fly and a Pedro León single gave Sugar Land a 2-0 early lead.
Las Vegas fought back, scoring two off Space Cowboys starter RHP Spencer Arrighetti in the third inning and two off RHP Mark Washington in the fifth on a Tyler Soderstrom homer, putting the Aviators up 4-2 by the middle of the fifth.
Julks got one back for Sugar Land on a solo shot to left-center field, flying 381 feet into the night. The next inning, Aviators RHP Zach Jackson (BS, 1) gave up three straight walks to Space Cowboy hitters with no outs. After managing to nearly escape the jam by getting two put-outs, Wagner drew a walk to tie the game at four apiece.
RHP Logan VanWey, LHP Bryan King and RHP Wander Suero (W, 1-0) were almost unhittable in the back end of the bullpen, combining for one hit, two walks, and a massive eight strikeouts to stump Las Vegas hitters.
The Space Cowboys continue their series against the Las Vegas Aviators on Friday night at Constellation Field. RHP Misael Tamarez is set to take the mound opposite Las Vegas RHP Aaron Brooks for an 7:05 pm first pitch. The game can be heard on ESPN 92.5 FM or online here and seen on MiLB.TV, MLB.TV or Bally Live.
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.