Walter's Gem Spurs Sugar Land to Pitchers Duel Win over Las Vegas

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PCL Sugar Land Space Cowboys

Walter's Gem Spurs Sugar Land to Pitchers Duel Win over Las Vegas

May 25, 2025 - Pacific Coast League (PCL)
Sugar Land Space Cowboys News Release


SUGAR LAND, TX - LHP Brandon Walter's (W, 3-1) six-shutout innings and RHP Luis Contreras' (H,4) and RHP Nick Hernandez's (S,2) 2.2 combined scoreless frames in relief helped the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (30-20) to a 3-1 victory over the Las Vegas Aviators (32-18) on Sunday night at Constellation Field.

Walter maneuvered around two base hits in the first inning to post a scoreless frame with an inning-ending strikeout.

Sugar Land threatened in the bottom of the first as Shay Whitcomb whistled a single back up the middle before Jesús Bastidas kept the inning alive with a two-out double but Jack Perkins (L, 1-2) stranded them with a punchout.

The Space Cowboys struck first in the second as Tommy Sacco Jr. walked with two outs, and in the ensuing at-bat, Kenedy Corona stepped on a 1-0 sinker and sent it 349-feet to left for a two-run homer as Sugar Land went up, 2-0.

Walter settled in during the third as he sat down in the Aviators in order on nine pitches including another strikeout, running his ledger to four.

Sugar Land's defense executed a double play in the fourth and the fifth and the southpaw fanned two in the sixth, as he faced the minimum in four-straight innings. Walter fired 6.0 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, scattering five hits while not walking a batter.

Las Vegas cut the lead in half with an RBI single from Alejo Lopez in the seventh, but Contreras preserved the 2-1 lead by recording the final two outs of the frame and leaving two Aviator runners on base.

The Space Cowboys answered in the home half of the seventh as Sacco Jr. walked, Corona pulled a liner into left and they each moved up 90 feet from a wild pitch. With one-out, Brice Matthews punched an RBI single to right, scoring Sacco Jr. and restoring the two-run advantage.

Contreras came back out for the eighth and made quick work of the top of the Aviators' lineup with a 1-2-3 inning on eight pitches while fanning two batters.

Hernandez received the ball for the ninth and closed out the 3-1 win with a perfect inning with a punchout.

NOTABLE:

- Brandon Walter's 6.0 scoreless innings and seven strikeouts tied his season high in each category. He went 6.0 innings on May 3 against Round Rock and registered seven strikeouts on April 22 against the Tacoma Rainiers. Walter spun 57 of his 84 pitches for strikes, a 68% strike rate. The southpaw has at least a 67% strike rate in his last four starts with Sugar Land while not walking a batter in his last three starts with the Space Cowboys.

- Walter entered Sunday's game with a 2.27 ERA and left with a 1.94 ERA, lowering his mark by 33 points.

- Luis Contreras set the Sugar Land season-high record in consecutive scoreless innings from a relief pitcher with 11.1 after registering 1.2 shutout innings on Sunday.

- With a walk on Sunday, Luis Castro extended his on-base streak to 15 games, the longest-active streak on the Space Cowboys. He is 18-for-53 (.340) with four doubles, three home runs, 14 RBI, eight walks and 11 runs scored.

- Tommy Sacco Jr. walked and scored twice on Sunday, running his on-base streak to nine games. Over that span, he has two RBI, 11 walks and six runs scored.

- Jacob Melton walked on Sunday, pushing his on-base streak to nine games where he is 8-for-29 (.276) with five doubles, six walks, four RBI and five runs scored.

- Jesús Bastidas doubled in the first, his 13th of the season and his 16th game reaching base in his last 17 contests. Bastidas tied Shay Whitcomb for the team lead in doubles with 13.

- Kenedy Corona's home run was his fifth of the season and first since May 17 against the Reno Aces. Sunday was also the centerfielder's fourth multi-hit game of the season.

- Brice Matthews had an RBI single in the seventh in his first game back since being reinstated from the IL. Matthews missed 11 days after being placed on the IL on May 14.

Sugar Land's series finale versus Las Vegas begins on Monday at 1:05 pm CT. Tyler Ivey takes the ball against RHP Jack Cushing. The game can be seen live on the Bally Sports Live App or MLB.TV and can be heard anywhere at SLSpaceCowboys.com. Season Memberships for the 2025 Space Cowboy season, including Full and Partial Season membership plans, can be purchased online.

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