Large Innings Lead River Cats to 11-9 Win Over Sugar Land

SUGAR LAND, Tex. – Three large innings were the key for the Sacramento River Cats on Thursday, scoring four times in the third and fifth before adding three more in the seventh en route to an 11-9 victory over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys.

After one hit in the first two innings, the River Cats (9-15/53-46) put a pair at the corners with singles in front of Trenton Brooks, who delivered an RBI single with the first of his three hits on the day. Just one batter later and all runners came around to score, as Jerar Encarnacion belted an 0-1 pitch to left center for a three-run blast.

Those tallies came in response to the three-run frame by the Space Cowboys (14-9/63-35) in the home half of the second, turning a leadoff double into a run while Omar Narvaez hit a two-run shot to right field on a 1-0 pitch.

Sugar Land drew the game level for the final time in the bottom of the fourth, using a Grae Kessinger homer to even the score. However, it failed to keep up with the four runs that Sacramento pushed across, using three consecutive singles to start the fifth with a run.

Hunter Bishop kept the hit streak going with the fourth straight to open the inning when he doubled to right field, and finally the stretch saw Blake Sabol earn an RBI with a single following a wild pitch that forced a run home.

Once more Sugar Land struck back with a pair of runs in the fifth, scoring once on a wild pitch while the other crossed the plate on a bases-loaded walk.

One final push from the River Cats proved to be all they needed, adding a final trio of runs in the top of the seventh behind a sacrifice fly along with RBI singles from Brooks and Encarnacion.

The score was not complete without a final collection of runs from the Space Cowboys in the bottom of the inning, doing so with an RBI single from Jacob Amaya and a bases loaded walk to Jesus Bastidas along with a wild pitch.

Combining for seven of the 17 Sacramento hits on the night was the duo of Encarnacion and Brooks, with Encarnacion logging his first four-hit game this season with the River Cats. He also extended his hitting streak to 14 games, as he is just one game shy of Casey Schmitt’s 15-game hit streak for the second longest on the team in 2024. He also drove in five RBI on the night, the first five-RBI game for a River Cat since Donovan Walton on June 28 at Las Vegas.

Earning the win was Tyler Myrick (1-2), allowing three runs on three hits in 1.1 innings with three walks and a strikeout. Every pitcher afterward contributed a hold, with the exception of Kolton Ingram (S, 1) as he collected the save by earning the final out of the contest with a strikeout.

Friday will see game four of this series where the River Cats will look to draw even, with first pitch set for 5:05 p.m. (PT).