COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Colorado Springs Sky Sox claimed victory for the fourth straight game over the New Orleans Baby Cakes at Security Service Field thanks to a ninth-inning, walk-off Jacob Nottingham single to complete the 3-0 sweep. The Sky Sox now improve their home record to 3-0 and 6-1 overall in 2018.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Colorado Springs Sky Sox claimed victory for the fourth straight game over the New Orleans Baby Cakes at Security Service Field thanks to a ninth-inning, walk-off Jacob Nottingham single to complete the 3-0 sweep. The Sky Sox now improve their home record to 3-0 and 6-1 overall in 2018.
For the first time in the series, New Orleans got the night's scoring started, and right away off of Sky Sox starter Bubba Derby (5.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 4 K). In the top of the first, 'Cakes centerfielder Magneuris Sierra led off the game with a quick single while Rafael Ortega (on groundball fielding error) and Jonathan Rodriguez (on base hit) both reached to load the bases. With no outs, Derby struck out Scott Van Slyke but wasn't able to exit the first frame without damage after Cristhian Adames sent a grounder to the right side for the second out to plate the first run.
In the fourth, after New Orleans jumped out to a 2-0 lead sparked by Peter Mooney's first triple of 2018, Colorado Spring's opened for business. With two outs, Brett Phillips' double paired with stealing third and a throwing error by catcher Sharif Othman translated into the Sky Sox first run of the evening. Following a Tyrone Taylor walk and balk by 'Cakes starter Sandy Alcantara to put Taylor into scoring position, Shane Opitz made them pay with a game-tying RBI single.
In the fifth, the Sky Sox kept the two-out rally momentum alive. After a leadoff walk by Nate Orf, both Nottingham and Phillips drew walks, ending Alcantara's night. With reliever Drew Rucinski in, Taylor knocked a soft single into shallow centerfield to break the tie and make it a 4-2 Colorado Springs' advantage.
New Orleans got within one in the sixth, but the Sky Sox once again added on in the bottom of the seventh. Following Dubon's second double of the season and advancing to third on a wild pitch, Ji-Man Choi sent him home on a sacrifice fly ball to right field. Nottingham restarted the action with the second double of the frame and moved to third on Phillips' ground ball out to first. With Taylor at the plate, Nottingham broke for home before a pitch was thrown, forcing a balk to Rucinski and making it a three-run advantage.
The back-and-forth continued as New Orleans put together their first multi-run inning of the series in the eighth inning to cut the deficit to 6-5 and would tie the game in the top of the ninth on Rodriguez's home run from reliever Angel Ventura. Colorado Springs would have the final word in the bottom half as Nottingham collected his second hit of the night - a walk-off single to score Orf, who led off the inning with his second walk.
The Sky Sox enter into a four-game set tomorrow against Texas Rangers' highest affiliate, the Round Rock Express, with first pitch slated for 6:40 p.m. Tomorrow is also the first Friday Fireworks of the season at Security Service Field. For tickets and more information, fans can visit skysox.com or call 719-597-1449. Follow along on social media for all of the latest news and updates.
