Ninth-inning rally falls short in 2-1 loss

The Colorado Springs Sky Sox accumulated only three hits on Monday night, but it was enough to grab a 2-1 win over the New Orleans Zephyrs at Zephyr Field.

Colorado Springs jumped out to a quick lead in the top of the first. Drew Garcia laced a one-out single up the middle, and raced to third base when the ball scooted beneath the glove of center fielder Jake Marisnick. A fly ball by Ryan Wheeler scored Garcia with the game's first run.

The Zephyrs answered in the bottom half of the frame in similar fashion by capitalizing on a Sky Sox error. Matt Angle led off with a single and stole second, then scooted to third when catcher Michael McKenry's throw bounced into center field. After a walk to Josh Rodriguez, a broken-bat grounder by Justin Bour scored Angle from third.

Elih Villanueva settled in to pitch five strong innings, allowing only an unearned run and two hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Over the last four games, Zephyrs starting pitchers have not been charged with an earned run in 25 1/3 innings.

Villanueva was lifted in the sixth, and Sam Dyson immediately ran into trouble by walking leadoff batter Jason Pridie. With two outs and Pridie at third, Kyle Parker hit a dribbler up the third base line and beat out Dyson's throw to drive in the go-ahead run.

New Orleans again attempted to respond in the bottom of the inning, getting a leadoff single from Rodriguez and a two-out double by Bour, but a potential rally was short-circuited by a double play.

The Zephyrs threatened again in the seventh, putting runners at the corners with two outs before Angle lined out to second. The Z's finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

Chris Martin came on in the ninth and worked into a jam. Rob Brantly led off with a single, and a fly ball by Marisnick fell out of the reach of a diving Pridie in center field for a double, advancing Brantly to third.

The Sky Sox elected to intentionally walk Zack Cox to load the bases, and Martin struck out pinch hitter Kyle Skipworth and got Angle to bounce back to the mound to escape with his third save. It preserved the victory for starter Christian Bergman (2-1), who went seven innings without giving up an earned run. He gave up six hits, struck out two and walked two.

Dyson (0-1) suffered the loss after working two innings, yielding one run and one hit with two walks and one strikeout.

The four-game series wraps up Tuesday at 11 a.m., with Zephyrs right-hander Jay Rogers (0-1, 5.84) opposed by Sky Sox southpaw Tyler Matzek (1-0, 5.00).