51s break tie in seventh, hold on to beat Sky Sox

The Las Vegas 51s scored three runs in the seventh inning, then held off a Colorado Springs rally for a 5-4 victory over the Sky Sox on Sunday in a Pacific Coast League game at Colorado Springs, Colo.

Mitch Jones hit a tiebreaking homer for the 51s (47-44) to lead off the sixth. Angel Chavez followed by striking out against Kip Wells, but reached first base because of a wild pitch on the third strike.

One out later, A.J. Ellis singled and John-Ford Griffin's pinch-hit double scored Chavez and Ellis to make it 5-2, though Griffin was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a triple.

The Sky Sox (45-45) put up a run apiece in the eighth and ninth, with Cory Sullivan's RBI double making it 5-4 in the ninth. But 51s catcher A.J. Ellis picked off Sullivan at second base, and reliever Mike Koplove induced two flyouts to end the game.

Ellis, Jones and Terry Tiffee all went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the 51s, with Jones and Tiffee both hitting a solo homer and a double.

Brian Akin pitched just the sixth inning to get the win for the 51s, allowing one run on one hit and one walk. Las Vegas starter Justin Orenduff yielded one run on seven hits and two walks in five innings.