Fresno Sweeps Doubleheader; Rafael Betancourt Returns to Sky Sox
August 18, 2014 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Colorado Springs Sky Sox News Release
The Colorado Springs Sky Sox (51-79) couldn't pick up a win in Sunday's doubleheader as they dropped both games to the Fresno Grizzlies (62-68), 11-7 in game one and 4-3 in game two.
In game one, the Sky Sox got off to a quick start with two runs in the top of the first with an RBI ground out from Kyle Parker and an RBI ground out by Matt McBride.
However, the Fresno Grizzlies retaliated with two runs in each of the first, second, third and fifth innings with three more runs in the fourth with two homers from Brandon Hicks, and a homer each from Guillermo Quiroz and Juan Perez.
Trailing 6-2 in the fourth, Matt McBride would hit his sixth home run of the month.
In the sixth, the Sky Sox would start a comeback with a couple runs from an RBI ground out from Jackson Williams and RBI singles from Tim Wheeler and Evan Frey, who pinched hit for R.J. Seidel. The Sox also scored one more in the seventh, but it wasn't enough to complete the comeback as they lost game one.
Recovering from Tommy John surgery, Rafael Betancourt made his 2014 Sky Sox debut and tossed a scoreless frame.
RHP Jason Berken (10-9) picked up the win for Fresno with 5.1 innings of work, while allowing six runs (five earned) on 11 hits with a strikeout and a walk.
LHP James Houser (1-1) lasted just two innings for the Sky Sox but picked up the loss after giving up four runs on four hits with one strikeout and one walk.
In game two, the Sky Sox took the 2-0 lead in the second with RBI singles from Dustin Garneau and Cristhian Adames, and kept the lead until the sixth thanks to five strong innings from RHP Mike McClendon, who allowed zero runs on four hits with four strikeouts and one walk..
After Ynoa drove in an insurance run for the Sky Sox with his RBI single, the Grizzlies scored three runs off RHP Rob Scahill (2-3) to tie the game in the bottom half of the sixth with a solo homer from Mark Minicozzi and RBI singles from Tony Abreu and Trevor Brown.
RHP Erik Cordier(3-3) held the Sox scoreless in the seventh to set the table for Perez who smacked a leadoff homer in the bottom of the seventh to hand Fresno the doubleheader sweep.
The Sky Sox will play Fresno again at 8:05 p.m. (MT) Monday in the series finale when RHP Christian Bergman (5-4, 4.17 ERA) takes on RHP Austin Fleet (2-1, 5.16).
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