Vibes Shine in Inaugural Home Run Swing-Off Saturday Against Rockies

Olloque's home run makes national headlines as Vibes win first-ever extra inning home run swing-off

Aaron Kinnischtzke - Rocky Mountain Vibes

Colorado Springs, Colo. - Game two in Rocky Mountain Vibes series against the Grand Junction Rockies was a historic one for the Pioneer League and all of Minor League Baseball, as it was the first time that the brand new Home Run Swing-Off that now replaces extra innings in the PBL, was put into play. The Vibes ended up winning the game 8-7, thanks to a Manny Olloque shot over the left field wall on his fourth pitch of a potential five, which gave the Vibes the pivotal game two victory and secured them the series win.

With the rule being brand new in 2021, it was the first time that fans witnessed an overtime structure like the Swing-Off. With the game tied at seven following the bottom of the ninth inning, this effectively guaranteed that there would be no winning pitcher, and that whoever won the Swing-Off would be granted one run, as it would be scored a “team victory”.

The rule is similar to that of a shootout in hockey. The visiting team bats first and selects one batter, who then has five swings to try and hit one or more out of the ballpark. The home team then selects their batter, and has to either match or beat what the visiting team batter produced. Being that Dondrei Hubbard of the Rockies did not hit a home run in any of his five swings, whoever the Vibes’ selection was to be, needed only one to win the game for the Vibes. The winning home run for Vibes center fielder Manny Olloque which won the game for Rocky Mountain, is not to be counted toward statistics, just as shootout goals do not count for a player’s individual stats.

Olloque’s game-winning home run in the Swing-Off was a pivotal moment in the series, as the Vibes won game two, as well as the series with one swing of the bat after winning on Opening Night 2-0 thanks to a gem of a pitching performance by Angel Camacho. The atmosphere was electric, and the historic moment made national news and was featured on the popular media platform Barstool Sports. The Pioneer League is excited to see how this rule plays out for the rest of 2021, with the Swing-Off replacing any kind of extra inning action for the season.