Late-Inning Magic Pushes Space Cowboys To Opening Night Win
In what was a back-and-forth battle all night, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (2-2) came up victorious in their first home game of the season against the Las Vegas Aviators (0-3) Tuesday night, 12-11. Corey Julks kicked off the home opener with a solo shot to left field, flying 351
In what was a back-and-forth battle all night, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (2-2) came up victorious in their first home game of the season against the Las Vegas Aviators (0-3) Tuesday night, 12-11.
Corey Julks kicked off the home opener with a solo shot to left field, flying 351 feet and giving Sugar Land a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, a couple of walks and a single loaded the bases for slugger Pedro León. After a wild pitch scored Shay Whitcomb, León cranked a double to center field, driving in two. The Space Cowboys left the inning up 5-0, after a bases loaded walk brought in León.
The Aviators answered back, scoring six runs the next inning, highlighted by Stephen Piscotty’s RBI double and Jordan Diaz’s two-RBI single. Sugar Land was able to steal one back after CJ Stubbs drew a bases loaded walk, but the Aviators would get three more in the third and fourth inning, widening their lead to 9-6.
Ray Gaither steadied the middle innings for Sugar Land, hurling 2.0 shutout innings with just a hit allowed and four strikeouts. He was followed by Joel Kuhnel (W, 1-1), who spun 2.0 shutout innings as well and was one of two pitchers in the contest to not walk a batter.
Jesús Bastidas picked things up for the Space Cowboys in the bottom of the seventh by smashing a two-run home run to left-center field, bringing Sugar Land within one of Las Vegas. The next inning, the Space Cowboys would load the bases up again and score on a Tyler Ferguson (BS, 1) wild pitch to tie the game. With two outs, Bastidas would again come up clutch for the team, driving the ball through the left side to bring two home and give Sugar Land the lead for the first time since the second inning. Another RBI single by David Hensley provided a much-needed insurance run, leaving the score 12-9 going into the top half of the ninth.
The Aviators made the ninth inning tight with a Carlos Pérez two-run shot to left-center field bringing Las Vegas within a run at 12-11. Reliever Bryan King (S, 1) induced a ground out from Drew Lugbauer with runners on the corners to end the game with a Space Cowboy win, 12-11.
Bastidas finished the night 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI, the third four-RBI game for a Space Cowboys batter this season.
The Space Cowboys continue their series against the Las Vegas Aviators on Wednesday morning at Constellation Field. RHP Blair Henley is set to make his Triple-A debut opposite Las Vegas RHP Osvaldo Bido for an 11:05 am 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.