Space Cowboys Open Series With Extra-Innings Loss In Vegas

The Sugar Land Space Cowboys (34-18, 66-60) played their third extra-inning game in their last four contests but fell 6-5 to the Las Vegas Aviators (28-24, 72-53) in a 10-inning series opener on Tuesday night at Las Vegas Ballpark.

Sugar Land wasted no time opening the scoring as Jake Meyers led off the game with a double before Cavan Biggio drove him home with his 60th RBI of the season, giving the Space Cowboys a 1-0 lead.

The Aviators evened the game in the bottom of the first, but Sugar Land quickly regained the lead in the second. Zach Dezenzo and Trenton Brooks worked back-to-back walks to start the inning and Zach Cole followed with an RBI single to right field to put the Space Cowboys ahead 2-1.

Las Vegas took the lead in the bottom of the third when Jonathan Rodriguez hit his first home run with Las Vegas to tie the game before Jack Winkler followed with an RBI single to give the Aviators a 3-2 advantage.

In the top of the fifth, Cole tied the game again with his fourth home run of the season, sending a solo shot deep to right field to make it 3-3.

Cole ties the game!🚀 #Ascend pic.twitter.com/EgYDN8oqki

— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) August 26, 2026

RHP Alex Santos II made his second appearance for Sugar Land and tossed 1.1 innings, allowing no hits while walking three and striking out one. RHP Logan VanWey relieved Santos with one out and two runners on in the fifth and had two unearned runs score on a base hit and a double steal before striking out the final two batters of the inning, leaving the frame with Las Vegas ahead 5-3.

RHP Alimber Santa followed with a perfect sixth, throwing 13 pitches, 10 for strikes, to retire the side in order and keep the Aviators off the board.

RHP Trey McLoughlin entered in the seventh and tossed 1.2 scoreless innings, striking out one. In the eighth, McLoughlin allowed a walk and a double to put two runners on but responded with a strikeout and a groundout before RHP Miguel Ullola entered and forced a flyout to end the inning.

Sugar Land battled back in the eighth. Biggio worked a walk before Joey Loperfido singled to put runners on the corners. Dezenzo then worked a walk to load the bases before Brooks grounded into a force out, scoring a run and cutting the deficit to 5-4.

In the top of the ninth, Lucas Spence led off with his fifth double of the season. After a strikeout and a popout put two outs on the board, Biggio delivered again with an infield single to score Spence and tie the game at 5-5.

Biggio brings Sugar Land even at 5!💪 #Ascend pic.twitter.com/wa4iOCLwA9

— Sugar Land Space Cowboys (@SLSpaceCowboys) August 26, 2026

Ullola continued into the ninth and retired the three batters he faced in order to send the game to extras.

Sugar Land threatened in the top of the 10th when Brooks and Cole each worked walks to load the bases, but a strikeout and a groundout ended the inning without the Space Cowboys capitalizing with runners in scoring position.

RHP Roddery Muñoz entered for the bottom of the 10th and walked the leadoff man to put two runners on. Muñoz then induced a popout on a bunt to first before a groundout moved both runners into scoring position. However, a wild pitch allowed the placed runner to score, giving Las Vegas a 6-5 walk-off win.

NOTABLE:

• Zach Cole went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, two walks and a stolen base in Tuesday night’s series opener. Cole’s home run left the bat at 103.6 mph, marking the fourth-hardest hit ball of the game. It also gave Cole back-to-back series openers with multiple RBI after he went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in last week’s series opener against Oklahoma City.
• Cavan Biggio went 2-for-2 with two RBI, three walks and a run scored on Tuesday night, extending his on-base streak to six games. It was Biggio’s fourth game of the season with three walks, with the others coming on April 3 at Jacksonville, May 14 at Tacoma and August 16 at Round Rock.
• RHP Miguel Ullola made his sixth consecutive scoreless appearance in Tuesday’s series opener, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings without allowing a runner to reach. Ullola has now held opponents scoreless in 23 of his 26 relief appearances with Sugar Land this season.
• Jake Meyers went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored, extending his streak to three consecutive games with a run scored.
• Tuesday night marked the Space Cowboys’ third extra-inning game in their last four games. Sugar Land has played 19 extra-inning games this season, the most in the Pacific Coast League and tied with the Norfolk Tides for the second-most in Triple A, trailing only the Memphis Redbirds, who have played 21

The Space Cowboys will look to even the series on Wednesday night. RHP Jason Alexander will start for Sugar Land, while the Aviators will send LHP Ryan Magdic to the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 9:05 pm CT. The game can be seen on the Bally Sports Live app and MiLB.TV and can be heard online anywhere at SLSpaceCowboys.com/Listen.

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, winning their first Triple-A title in 2024 by clinching both the Pacific Coast League Championship and Triple-A National Championship. 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). Season ticket plans for the 20276 season are available now and can be purchased at slspacecowboys.com/tickets.