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PCL Sugar Land Space Cowboys

Offense Quiet in 9-2 Sugar Land Loss

June 17, 2024 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release


SUGAR LAND, TX - In what started as a close game through the fifth, the Oklahoma City Baseball Club (38-31) used a big sixth inning to top the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (45-24) in a 9-2 defeat on Sunday night at Constellation Field. Sugar Land's magic number to clinch the first-half crown remains at four heading into the final six games of the half. [?Folder icon] Highlights of tonight's game can be found here.

Oklahoma City struck first in the opening frame with a two-out double from Trey Sweeney that scored Andrew Lipicus from first, but LHP Eric Lauer recovered to strike out Kody Hoese to end the inning. After the first, Lauer went on to retire nine of the next 15 batters he faced, striking out a season-high nine hitters in his five innings pitched, generating 13 swings-and-misses on 33 fastballs thrown.

Luke Berryhill quickly knotted things back up in the bottom of the second when he knocked in Jacob Amaya from second on a two-out base hit. After that, a combination of Oklahoma's starter RHP Landon Knack, LHP Alec Gamboa (W, 1-2), RHP Kyle Hurt, and LHP Jack Dreyer shut down the Space Cowboys offense, stranding every baserunner Sugar Land had until the ninth.

RHP Alex Speas (L, 3-2) came in for the sixth to try and follow up a great performance for Lauer and loaded the bases up with one out. To get the Space Cowboys out of a jam, RHP Logan VanWey came in and induced a foul pop-up from Chris Owings to get the second out. Jonathan Araúz then grounded one in the hole to shortstop Grae Kessinger, who made a great throw that just wasn't picked cleanly at first for the out, driving in the go-ahead run for OKC. The next batter, Chris Okey, opened the game up with a grand slam to left-center field, putting OKC up 6-1.

Hoese tacked on a couple more in the seventh for Oklahoma City on a two-run bomb to left and on a solo shot from James Outman in the eighth pushed the Baseball Club to a 9-1 lead.

In the ninth, the Space Cowboys got two on base from a single from Jesús Bastidas and a walk from Shay Whitcomb. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position and a groundout from Kessinger scored one final run. Despite the loss, the Space Cowboys stole three bases, totaling 18 for the six-game set against Oklahoma City, the most in a series this season.

Sugar Land travels El Paso to take on the Chihuahuas on Tuesday night for the final series of the first half. Both starters are TBA for a 7:35 pm CT first pitch. The game can be heard on ESPN 92.5 FM or online here and seen on MiLB.TV, MLB.TV or Bally Live.

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