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Sky Sox and 51s Split Doubleheader

August 29, 2013 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Colorado Springs Sky Sox News Release


The Colorado Springs Sky Sox (66-72) won game one of the doubleheader, 4-3, on a walk-off single by Kent Matthes, but lost game two, 12-8, to split the twin bill with the Las Vegas 51s (78-60) on College Night at Security Service Field.

In the first game the two teams picked up right where they left off yesterday, combining for five runs in the first inning. Dating back to yesterday, the two teams had scored a combined 23 runs in four straight innings. The 51s scored their three runs on a double, groundout and a single and Colorado Springs answered back in the bottom of the inning when Xavier Nady blasted a two-run homer to bring the team within one. The Sky Sox would remain down one run until the fourth inning when Kent Matthes hit a home run of his own to knot the game up at three runs a piece.

After allowing three runs in the first, Sky Sox starter Armando Galarraga locked down the 51s' offense, shutting out the team for the next 5.2 innings before he was lifted in the seventh and replaced by reliever Mike McClendon (W, 7-8).

With the game deadlocked at three runs, the game sailed into extra innings. In the bottom of the eighth, Las Vegas reliever Justin Hampson (L, 6-3) gave up a single to Reid Brignac and then hit Xavier Nady to put two runners on with no outs. Matthes then came to the plate with one out and delivered a RBI single to give the Sky Sox the 4-3 lead.

Just like the first game the second game began with plenty of runs. For the second straight game the 51s scored in the first inning when they scored on a sacrifice fly and a ground-rule double. Colorado Springs answered in the bottom of that inning on a two-run home run by Ryan Wheeler, who was playing in his first game back since being optioned down by the Colorado Rockies.

Las Vegas began to pull away from the Sox an inning later when they tacked on three runs off of starting pitcher Cory Riordan (L, 4-5). In the bottom of the third the Sky Sox cut the lead down to two on a Josh Rutledge RBI single, but the 51s would break the game open in the fourth. The 51s built their lead to 12-3 with a seven-run inning that was highlighted by a two-run home run by Kirk Nieuwenhuis and a three-run home run by Jamie Hoffman. Las Vegas starter Daryl Thompson (W, 2-0) was solid in his first start of the season, going six innings and striking out six batters.

Colorado Springs fought to come back from the nine-run deficit when they scored one run in the fifth and four runs in the bottom of the seventh, but they could not overcome the 51s' lead and suffered their 72nd loss of the year.

Tomorrow, the Sky Sox will play their last home game of the season when they send out righty Sean Gallagher (2-2, 3.86) against fellow right-hander Matt Fox (6-4, 4.87) at 6:35 PM MT.

Sky Sox Notes: Since 8/26, Josh Rutledge is 10-14, with four doubles, three runs and six RBIs...Kent Matthes hit a home run in the first game of the doubleheader and has now hit five home runs this homestand.

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