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Sky Sox Win 14-Inning Affair, 8-7, against Rainiers

June 20, 2014 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Colorado Springs Sky Sox News Release


It only took a little more than four and a half hours to complete, but after 14 innings, the Sky Sox (30-43) came out on top 8-7 against the Tacoma Rainiers (33-40) on Thursday night.

After back-to-back singles and a fielder's choice in the top of the 14th, Tim Smalling reached base on a throwing error by 3B Gabriel Noriega to score Evan Frey and eventually hand the Sox their first victory of the series. It was the Rainiers' fourth error of the game and caused Tacoma to snap their seven-game winning streak.

It was a see-saw battle early on when Tacoma jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in the first inning with a sacrifice fly from former-Sky Sox Xavier Nady and an RBI-single from Ty Kelly. It was Kelly's sixth RBI during the series against Colorado Springs.

The Sky Sox attacked right back with three runs in the second off of C Michael Ramirez' three-run homer, his first home run of the season. However, the Rainiers retook the lead off of Jesus Sucre's own home run, a two-run shot to give Tacoma the 4-3 lead.

In the fifth, it was 2B Angelys Nina's turn for the longball as he knocked a two-run bomb to left.

Nady cut the lead by one with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning.

Leading 7-5 in the bottom of the eighth, RHP Rob Scahill gave up the game-tying run after Nick Franklin hit a sacrifice fly to score Abraham Almonte, who hit an RBI-single two batters prior.

The Sky Sox bullpen led by Scahill, RHP Wilton Lopez and RHP Brooks Brown (3-1) shut the Rainiers down for most of extra innings retiring 12 straight, before the Brown ran into some trouble in the 13th and loaded the bases up. However, he came through in the clutch getting Nady to pop out to second base.

Led by five strikeouts from RHP Leuris Gomez, the Sky Sox struck out a season-high 18 batters. The bullpen allowed just two runs in nine innings of relief.

LHP Brian Burres got the start for the Sky Sox and tossed five innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on five hits while striking out four and walking four.

Four Sky Sox players collected two hits in the game, led by Nina and Ramirez. Nina and Ramirez finished with four and three RBI, respectively. Ben Paulsen and Evan Frey also collected two hits.

The Sky Sox will look to split the series at 8:05 p.m. (MT) Friday night when RHP Juan Nicasio (NR) makes his Sky Sox season debut squaring off against RHP Forrest Snow (0-0, 1.80 ERA).

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