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PCL Sugar Land Space Cowboys

Late Runs Help Chihuahuas Top Space Cowboys on Opening Night

April 1, 2023 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release


El Paso, Texas - After carrying a 3-3 tie into the seventh inning, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (0-1) fell on Opening Night to the El Paso Chihuahuas (1-0) 14-3 on Friday at Southwest University Park.

Sugar Land took the lead in the third inning on a quartet of hits. Pedro León led off the inning with a single and Dixon Machado followed by pushing a bunt between Chihuahuas' starter LHP Jay Groome and first baseman Alfonso Rivas, putting a pair of men on base. Grae Kessinger deposited a single into center to load the bases, and an infield single from Justin Dirden scored the first run of the season for the Space Cowboys, giving them a 1-0 lead. Rylan Bannon's fielder's choice brought home Machado to widen the advantage to 2-0.

On the mound, RHP Austin Hansen made his first regular season appearance since August of 2021 and looked sharp, throwing three scoreless innings and allowing just one hit through his first three frames. The righty surrendered a solo home run to Rivas in the third, the last batter that he faced, to cap an Opening Night start in which Hansen went 3.1 innings and gave up just one run.

The Space Cowboys pulled a run back in the top of the fifth when Machado doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch and raced home on a chopping single by Korey Lee, once again giving Sugar Land a two-run cushion at 3-1.

El Paso knotted the game in the sixth on a two-run home run from Tim Lopes, his first of the season. Sugar Land had a chance to reclaim the lead when Kessinger reached on a hit by pitch and went first-to-third on a single by Dirden, but the Space Cowboys left Kessinger stranded at third as the go-ahead run. All told, Kessinger reached base four times, going 2-for-3 with a double, a walk and a hit by pitch in his Triple-A debut.

The Chihuahuas took the lead in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly before scoring nine runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to separate for the 14-3 final score.

Sugar Land continues their three-game tangle with El Paso on Saturday night. RHP Brandon Bielak is scheduled to start for the Space Cowboys opposite Chihuahuas' RHP Anderson Espinoza for a 7:35 pm CT first pitch at Southwest University Park. The game can be heard locally on ESPN 92.5 FM and online here. The Space Cowboys return to Constellation Field for Opening Night on Tuesday, April 4 against the Round Rock Express at 6:05 pm presented by Constellation. All fans will receive a Space Cowboys 2023 Magnet Schedule presented by Texas Farm Bureau. Tickets are available online at SLSpaceCowboys.com/Tickets.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 1, 2023


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