Missions Top Express 14-8 as Comeback Stalls

ROUND ROCK, Texas - The San Antonio Missions (79-56) served the Round Rock Express (81-54) a 14-8 defeat in game three on Wednesday night at Dell Diamond. The Missions kept their playoff hopes alive as the victory brought the foe within two games of the Express in the Pacific Coast League's American Southern Division standings.
Express starter LHP Ryan Hartman (6-7, 5.71) suffered the loss following a tough outing on the hill. The lefty permitted nine runs, seven of which were earned, on six hits and three walks in a 4.0-inning start. On the winning side, San Antonio RHP Bubba Derby (7-7, 4.77) held Round Rock to one run on two hits in a 2.2-inning relief appearance.
San Antonio wasted no time hopping on the board as LF Ben Gamel worked a walk before 1B Tyler Austin hit a two-run homer. SS Jack Mayfield responded with a solo shot of his own in the home half, bringing Round Rock within a run.
The Missions jumped on the E-Train for a big second inning to derail the home team. The entire San Antonio batting order stepped up to the plate and combined for four singles, a pair of sacrifice flies and a walk. Thanks in part to a set of Express errors, the Missions tacked on five runs in the frame. The Express drove in a run in the second on back-to-back doubles from 1B Nick Tanielu and CF Ronnie Dawson, but the team still faced a five-run deficit.
San Antonio struck again in the fourth as Gamel was hit by a pitch, stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error by C Garrett Stubbs before trotting home on a Tyrone Taylor sacrifice fly. After a quick scoreless inning, Gamel hit a solo home run to extend the Missions lead to 10-2 in the sixth.
Facing a two-run deficit, Round Rock DH Kyle Tucker and Tanielu each crushed two-run home runs to ignite a six-run seventh inning. A double, walk, hit batter and two home runs chased Missions reliever RHP Angel Perdomo out of the game while RF Drew Ferguson hit an infield single, good for two RBI, off RHP Deolis Guerra moments after he entered the game to trim Round Rock's deficit to 10-8.
With RHP Dean Deetz on the mound in the eighth, the Missions sealed the Express defeat. The foe drove in a run on an Austin RBI single that was followed by a wild pitch that drove in another. Shortly thereafter, 3B Travis Shaw hit a two-run blast that pushed the final score to 14-8.
Round Rock hopes for a series victory over San Antonio in Thursday night's series finale. The final home game of the 2019 regular season will feature Express RHP Brandon Bielak (7-4, 4.74) against Missions RHP Trey Supak (1-1, 9.35). First pitch at Dell Diamond is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.  
For more information on the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitdrove in ter, and join the conversation during our historic 20th season using #20STROng.
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Round Rock Express Baseball, owned and operated by Ryan Sanders Baseball, LP, is the proud Triple-A Affiliate of the Houston Astros and a member of the Pacific Coast League.