SUGAR LAND, Texas – The Oklahoma City Comets hit four home runs and had four relief pitchers combine to pitch four scoreless innings in a 6-1 win over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys Friday night at Constellation Field.
Oklahoma City lefty Logan Allen got off to a shaky start in the bottom of the first inning as back-to-back singles led off the game for Sugar Land before a walk loaded the bases. Allen was able to limit the damage to a sole run, which was scored on a fielder’s choice.
It was the only run of the night for the Space Cowboys as Allen settled in and the bullpen kept the Space Cowboys off the scoreboard.
Trailing 1-0 in the top of the second inning, the Comets quickly tied the game when
Third baseman Ryan Fitzgerald hit a one out home run to right-center field.
Oklahoma City was facing Astros right-hander Hunter Brown, who was making his second minor league rehab start as he works his way back for Houston. Brown tossed three innings, allowing just the one run on the Fitzgerald home run.
Tommy Edman (1-for-3), making his third start of the season as he begins a rehab assignment that has sidelined led off the top of the fourth inning with a single off the second baseman into shallow right-center field before being erased on the basepaths via a double play.
Logan Allen departed after five innings of one-run baseball.
Carlos Duran entered the game after Allen and began throwing gas, consistently clocking 97mph. Duran faced the minimum over two innings, striking out three batters.
The game remained tied at one until the top of the seventh inning when Fitzgerald hammered another pitch over the wall in right field for his second solo home run of the game and a 2-1 Oklahoma City lead
Comets catcher Chuckie Robinson led off the top of the eighth inning with a triple to the wall in left-center field. Seby Zavala wasted no time bringing in the insurance run on a sacrifice fly ball to the warning track in right field and a two-run lead.
A one-out walk to leadoff batter Zach Ehrhard was followed by a pinch-hit home run by James Tibbs III the opposite way to left-center field. It was the 15th home run of the season for Tibbs, his third in two games, and his fourth of the series. With two outs, the other Fitzgerald, Tyler, homered to right field to push the Comets advantage to 6-1.
Tibbs hit for Edman, who left the game after his third at-bat as he takes things slow in his return from injury.
“It’s just fun to get back out there and play games again,” Edman said before Friday’s game. “It’s been a little bit different starting this year on the IL and not getting to contribute out of the gate, but I’m excited to be back.”
“I’m just going through my spring training right now.”
Duran was followed out of the Comets bullpen by Chayce McDermott who only threw three pitches, with the last one lined off his leg forcing him to leave the game. Wyatt Mills relieved McDermott and pitched a scoreless frame. Keynan Middleton pitched a scoreless top of the ninth with Ehrhard making a twisting, turning catch on the warning track in center field as he fell to the ground for the final out to secure the victory.
The Comets (31-23) and the Space Cowboys (23-32) will continue their six game series on Saturday night at Constellation Field with a first pitch set for 6:05pm. Charlie Barnes will start for the Comets while the Space Cowboys will counter with Ryan Weiss.
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