Grand Slam Stuns Sky Sox in 8-5 Loss

Published on June 9, 2016 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Colorado Springs Sky Sox News Release


COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - The Colorado Springs Sky Sox and Memphis Redbirds traded ninth-inning grand slams in Thursday night's series opener. Unfortunately for Colorado Springs, Memphis rallied in the ninth to walk off and beat the Sky Sox 8-5 at AutoZone Park.

Down a run entering the ninth, the Sky Sox loaded the bases with one out on a walk and a pair of hits. Andy Wilkins stepped to the plate with a chance to give his team the lead, and he delivered. On an 0-2 pitch, Wilkins blasted a towering grand slam to right field to put the Sky Sox ahead 5-2.

In the bottom half, Memphis rallied to score a pair off Damien Magnifico. Jaye Chapman entered with the bases loaded and nobody out with a 5-4 lead, but Kolten Wong ended the game in grand style for Memphis with a grand slam to give his team a dramatic 8-5 win.

For the first eight innings, the offense wasn't as plentiful.

Sky Sox starter Tyler Cravy (1-1, 3.96) got off to a rough start. Wong led off the game for the Redbirds with a home run to right field. The lead doubled for Memphis later in the inning when David Washington doubled home Charlie Tilson to make the score 2-0 Memphis after the first inning.

Colorado Springs quickly cut into the lead in the second as Will Middlebrooks blasted a home run, his fifth of the season, with one out to put the Sky Sox on the board and cut the Memphis lead to 2-1.

That home run would be all the Sky Sox managed off Redbirds starter Mike Mayers (5-3, 2.12). In six innings on the mound, the Redbirds righty allowed the one earned run on five hits while walking three and striking out six.

For the Sky Sox, Cravy pitched four and a third innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits while striking out five. Michael Kirkman came in with a runner on base and one out in the fifth, and he finished the frame unscathed to get the Sky Sox out of trouble.

David Goforth entered for the Sky Sox in the sixth inning and pitched two scoreless frames to keep the Sky Sox within a run.

Memphis turned to Sam Tuivailala in the eighth, and he delivered by working around a pair of Sky Sox base runners to toss a scoreless frame and keep the Redbirds ahead. Despite blowing the save in the ninth, Tuivailala would end up the winning pitcher thanks to his team's ninth inning rally.

The teams combined to score 10 runs in the ninth inning after just three combined runs were scored during the first eight innings.

The series continues on Friday night with a 6:05 p.m. MDT meeting between the Redbirds and Sky Sox at AutoZone Park. Taylor Jungmann (1-3, 9.67) is scheduled to start for the Sky Sox against Arturo Reyes (5-3, 4.10).

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Pacific Coast League Stories from June 9, 2016


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