Four-Run 11th Propels Sugar Land to Series Finale Win over Las Vegas

Sports stats



PCL Sugar Land Space Cowboys

Four-Run 11th Propels Sugar Land to Series Finale Win over Las Vegas

April 20, 2025 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release


LAS VEGAS, NV - Luis Guillorme and Zack Short combined for five RBIs in extra innings as the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (9-12) held on for an 8-4 11th-inning win over the Las Vegas Aviators (14-7) on Sunday afternoon at Las Vegas Ballpark. Highlights of today's game can be found here.

For the third game in a row, the Space Cowboys took an early lead. Brice Matthews legged out an infield single on a slow roller, Shay Whitcomb's seventh hit of the series gave Sugar Land back-to-back singles and Luis Guillorme punched a base knock the other way to score Matthews.

On the mound, L HP Colton Gordon quieted the Aviators' lineup early in the game. He worked quickly in the first, retiring the side in order on 15 pitches, and induced a groundout to end a two-on, two-out threat in the second.

Gordon faced the minimum in the next two innings, including a nifty pick-off move to catch Logan Davidson attempting to steal, ending the fourth.

The Space Cowboys doubled their lead in the fifth with a lead-off blast. Joe Hudson hammered a breaking ball, sending it 391 feet to left, his first home run of the year, as Sugar Land went up, 2-0.

A lead-off home run in the bottom half from Willie Maclver and a sacrifice fly from Nick Kurtz knotted the contest up at two.

RHP Kaleb Ort entered in the sixth after five innings of two-run ball from Gordon and forced Alejo Lopez to roll over a fastball with two outs, extinguishing a bases-loaded threat from Las Vegas.

RHP Nick Hernandez took over with one down in the seventh and closed out the inning with a flyout and strikeout, keeping the contest tied at two.

Matthews slapped a single to lead-off the eighth, snapping a streak of eight straight Space Cowboys retired, and took second and third on two wild pitches from RHP Carlos Duran. Whitcomb walked, and Collin Price was hit by a pitch in the ensuing at-bats, loading the bases with nobody out. However, Sugar Land could not capitalize as Las Vegas turned a 4-2-3 double play and Kenedy Corona popped out to end the top half of the eighth.

R HP Luis Contreras came on with runners on first and second and one out in the home half but needed only seven pitches to hold Las Vegas and send the game tied into the ninth.

After neither team scored in the ninth, Short stood on second as Sugar Land placed runner in the tenth, and Price walked with two outs to keep the frame alive. Guillorme stung his second opposite-field hit of the game, a two-RBI double that went into the left-field corner as the Space Cowboys took a late 4-2 lead.

RHP Miguel Castro (W, 1-0) came on in the tenth and gave up a walk and a single to the first two batters he faced. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Davidson lifted a two-RBI double to left, tying the game at four. Castro responded by setting down the next three batters he faced, including throwing out Cooper Bowman at home as Las Vegas attempted a squeeze play.

The Space Cowboys broke the game open with a four-run 11th inning. Hudson sent a single up the middle, scoring Kenedy Corona, the placed runner in the frame. After a Quincy Hamilton w alk, Short came up with two on and one out. The shortstop stroked a fastball 415 feet, zipping 105 mph off his bat, unloading the bases and stretching out the Sugar Land advantage to 8-4.

Castro received the 11th and posted a zero, as the Space Cowboys locked down an 8-4 victory.

NOTABLE:

- Zack Short's three-run homer in the 11th was his first three-run blast since April 2, 2023 with the Toledo Mud Hens.

- Shay Whitcomb extended his on-base streak to 14 games with a single and a double. After going 2-for-5 on Sunday, Whitcomb finished the series 8-for-26 (.307) with two doubles, three home runs and seven RBI.

- With two singles, Brice Matthews finished the six-game series with the Aviators 7-for-19 (.368) with seven hits, one home run, two walks and a stolen base.

- Colton Gordon pounded the zone with his fastball, flinging 22 of his 31 (71%) heaters for strikes.

- Joe Hudson's home run in the fifth was his first of the season and his first long ball since September 8, 2024 with the Syracuse Mets. Hudson smashed the homer 102.5 mph, his hardest hit ball of the season.

- Kaleb Ort made his fifth appearance with Sugar Land as part of his Major League rehab assignment and went 1.1 innings, his longest outing of 2025, and his longest time out since June 7, 2024 against the Salt Lake Bees.

After a day off on Monday, Sugar Land continues its season-long 12-game road trip with a six-game series against the Tacoma Rainiers. The first pitch for game one on Tuesday is at 1:35 p.m. CT. The game can be seen live on the Bally Sports Live App or MLB.TV and can be heard anywhere at SLSpaceCowboys.com. Season Memberships for the 2025 Space Cowboy season, including Full and Partial Season membership plans, can be purchased online.

Check out the Sugar Land Space Cowboys Statistics



Pacific Coast League Stories from April 20, 2025


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.

OurSports Central