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Late Heroics Send Sox to Second Straight Walk-Off

July 24, 2015 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Colorado Springs Sky Sox News Release


COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - Juan Centeno sent 7,696 Sky Sox fans home with a second consecutive walk-off win, defeating the Nashville Sounds 2-1 on Thursday night at Security Service Field.

Starters Tyler Cravy and Zach Neal turned in stellar performances for their respective sides as neither right-hander allowed more than four base hits and two walks. Cravy would allow his lone run in the very first frame as the Sounds scored without the benefit of a base hit. Back-to-back walks to Craig Gentry and Joey Wendle opened contest before Ryan Roberts' fly out to right allowed both runners to advance into scoring position. Jason Pridie would once again hurt his former team with a sac fly RBI to plate Gentry and give Nashville a 1-0 lead they would hold until decisive ninth inning.

Neal held the Sox offense scoreless through seven impressive innings of work, issuing two free passes and four hits while striking out four. The Colorado Springs offense would ground into four double plays during Neal's time on the mound to help the starter out of a few jams along the way.

Cravy dazzled in his first Sox start since returning from a two-week big league stint in Milwaukee. The 2015 PCL All-Star gave up just three hits and two walks while striking out three over six strong frames.

The lefty-righty tandem of Michael Kirkman and Rob Wooten (3-1, 6.30) combined to twirl three innings of shutout ball in relief of Cravy to keep Colorado Springs within a run of pulling even late in the contest.

Sounds reliever Phil Coke (0-1, 9.82) gave Nashville a scoreless eighth before returning to the mound in the ninth. Logan Schafer and Jason Rogers worked the left-hander, reaching on a base hit and a base on balls respectively to bring the always dangerous Matt Clark to the plate with no outs. Clark delivered, lacing an RBI single into centerfield to score Schafer with the game-tying run.

Sounds manager Steve Scarsone immediately pulled Coke in favor of the right-hander RJ Alvarez with Matt Dominguez due up next. The moved paid off as Alvarez set the slugging third baseman down on strikes, bringing Juan Centeno up in the game's most pivotal moment. The catcher faced a one-out, runners on the corners situation in the bottom of the ninth after having gone 0-for-3 with a flyout and two double play groundouts.

Centeno would follow in his fellow catcher's lead, lining a base hit over the shallowly drawn infield to score pinch-runner Kyle Wren with the game-winner. The Sox second straight walk-off earned Colorado Springs a 2-1 victory and a series-split with the Sounds. The Sky Sox win improves them to 40-56 on the season while dropping Nashville to 45-54.

Colorado Springs will look to make it three-in-a-row on Friday night as they begin a four-game set with the Omaha Storm Chasers. Last week's PCL pitcher of the week Hiram Burgos (2-1, 3.51) is slated to start for the Sky Sox with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 PM MDT from Werner Park in Omaha.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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