Sky Sox Score 10 Runs in the 6th to Beat Bees, 15-9

June 12, 2013 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Colorado Springs Sky Sox News Release


The Colorado Springs Sky Sox (34-28) scored 10 runs in the sixth inning to overcome an eighth run deficit and defeat the Salt Lake Bees(33-32) 15-9 at Security Service Field on Two Dollar Tuesday.

Entering the decisive sixth inning, the Sky Sox were down 4-1. The inning began with a lead-off home run by Trent Oeltjen to increase the Bees lead to five. After Luke Carlin struck out, Roberto Lopez was issued a walk by Nick Schmidt and then reached second on a wild pitch. Tommy Field then singled to put runners on second and third with one out. During Andrew Romine's at-bat the game entered a brief nine minute delay after several of the lights went out in the ball park. Once the game resumed Romine smacked a RBI single and two batters later Efren Navarro doubled home Field and Romine. Navarro then reached home on a single by Calhoun. Mike McClendon (W, 4-3) then entered the game with two outs and got Luis Rodriguez to fly out to end the top of the inning.

Matt McBride ignited the team's comeback in the bottom of the sixth when he began the inning with a leadoff single. Charlie Blackmon then flew out to right field, but starting pitcher Billy Buckner walked Ben Paulsen to put two men on. Reliever Rob Delaney then relieved Buckner and immediately gave up a three-run shot to Charlie Culberson to bring the team within five runs. Tim Wheeler continued to build on the team's momentum when he doubled to right field. The next batter, Lars Davis then reached on a fielding error. The Sox followed up the miscue with a Corey Dickerson RBI double and a Josh Rutledge RBI single to make it 9-6 Bees.

With their lead slipping away the Bees called upon reliever Fernando Cabrera (L, 1-1) to get them out of the inning. Instead of shutting down Colorado Springs, Cabrera came in and threw a wild pitch to score Dickerson and advance Rutledge to third. The turning point of the game came when Ryan Wheeler hit a ball to shortstop which was fielded by Field and thrown to third, but dropped by third baseman Luis Jimenez for his second error of the inning. The Sox capitalized on the prolonged inning by loading the bases on a Charlie Blackmon walk. Ben Paulsen then launched the team's second grand slam of the season to seize the 11-9 lead. The 10-run inning was the fourth time the team has scored 10 runs in an inning against Salt Lake. The last time this feat occurred was last year on July 16th at Security Service Field.

McClendon came back out to pitch the seventh and did not allow a hit in his 2.1 innings of work while striking out four. Despite scoring 10 runs in the sixth, the Sox' offense was not done. Colorado Springs again loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth when Rutledge walked, Wheeler doubled and McBride walked. Charlie Blackmon then stepped to the plate and belted a bases clearing double to make it 14-9. They added one more run when Culberson plated Blackmon on a single.

Logan Kensing took the mound in the ninth to secure the 15-9 victory for Colorado Springs. Tomorrow the Sky Sox will look to take the 2-1 series lead against Salt Lake in an afternoon matinee which starts at 12:35 MT. Right-hander Jeff Manship (3-4, 6.20) will face-off against AJ Schugel(3-4, 6.79) who has only allowed one run in 12.1 innings of work against the Sky Sox this season.

Sky Sox Notes: Drew Pomeranz started the game and struck out five batters in four innings. The lefty is now second in the PCL in Ks/9ip at 10.25...Las Vegas 51 Zach Lutz hit a three-run walk-off home run to lead the 51s over the Tacoma Rainiers, 8-6 to bring the Sky Sox within 2.5 games of Tacoma...The last Sky Sox grand slam homer against Salt Lake was on June 26th, 2011 by Ian Stewart.



Pacific Coast League Stories from June 12, 2013


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