Smith’s Walk-Off Single Gives Round Rock 14-13 Win

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (21-15) salvaged the series against the Oklahoma City Dodgers (22-14) thanks to a three-run ninth inning that led to a 14-13 win. 3B Josh Smith singled to walk-off the Dodgers and help the Express snap a four-game skid.

Round Rock reliever RHP Spencer Patton (2-0, 0.00) earned the win, tossing a scoreless ninth inning that saw one strikeout. Oklahoma City reliever RHP Justin Hagenman (2-1, 5.25) earned a blown-save loss after going 1.2 innings and allowing three runs on three hits.

Along the Train Tracks:

• Oklahoma City scored three runs on three hits in the first inning, starting when LF Eddy Alvarez hit an RBI single. The Dodgers scored twice more in the inning when 2B Andy Burns singled to score 3B Miguel Vargas and Alvarez came home from second base on an Express error.
• CF Bubba Thompson walked to start the first inning for Round Rock, which saw the Express bat around on Dodgers RHP Andre Jackson. Thompson advanced to second base on a pickoff attempt error from Jackson then stole third and finally jogged home on a balk.
• After 3B Josh Smith worked a walk and LF Willie Calhoun singled, DH Yohel Pozo singled to score Smith and make it just a 3-2 deficit. 1B Matt Carpenter walked to load the bases before another balk from Jackson scored Calhoun and tied the game at three. 2B Nick Tanielu and C Jack Kruger finished the inning’s scoring with RBI singles that gave the Express a 5-3 advantage.
• The Dodgers earned a run back in the second inning when a single for SS Zach McKinstry shortened the Express lead to 5-4.
• The E-Train got back to work in the bottom of the second as Round Rock scored four times. RBI singles from Calhoun and Pozo each scored a run before Carpenter capped off the scoring with a 431-foot home run to right field as the Express led 9-4.
• In the third, Alvarez led the inning off with a triple for the Dodgers then scored as C Tomás Telis doubled. CF Drew Avans came up next with a single to left field, which scored Telis from second base and cut Oklahoma City’s deficit to 9-6.
• The Dodgers loaded the bases in the sixth frame on an Express error, a double and a walk. Burns singled into right field before the ball rolled underneath the glove of Taveras, which allowed all three runs to score, tying the game at nine apiece. Telis then singled to score Burns and give the Dodgers a 10-9 lead.
• In the seventh inning, a leadoff triple for Vargas started the offense for Oklahoma City. Noda scored his teammate with a single through the vacant shortstop spot before Alvarez hit his fifth home run of the season for a 13-9 Dodgers lead.
• Round Rock trimmed the lead to 13-11 in the bottom of the frame when Tanielu and Thompson each knocked singles that scored Pozo and Carpenter.
• The Express kept pushing at a comeback as they loaded the bases thanks to two singles and a Nash Knight walk in the ninth inning with one out. C Jack Kruger drew a walk, allowing PR Steele Walker to score from third base. Thompson hit into a fielder’s choice that sent PR Elier Hernandez home to tie the contest at 13. With the bases still loaded, 3B Josh Smith blooped a single into right center field to help the E-Train earn the 14-13 walk-off victory.

E-Train Excerpts:

• The win for Round Rock is the first walk-off victory of the season. Round Rock entered Sunday with a 2-13 record when trailing after the seventh inning and 1-14 tally when trailing after the eighth.
• Express C Yohel Pozo recorded a four-hit performance on Sunday, finishing 4-for-5 with three runs scored and one RBI. It was the fourth time this season that Pozo has tallied three or more hits in a game and was his second four-hit game of the 2022 campaign.
• Pozo’s four hits led Round Rock’s offense as the team knocked 16 to tie Oklahoma City’s total on Sunday. CF Bubba Thompson, LF Willie Calhoun, 1B Matt Carpenter, 2B Nick Tanielu and C Jack Kruger all recorded mulit-hit outings with two apiece. Thompson, Carpenter, Tanielu and Kruger all also tallied two RBI each during the game.
• The Express allowed three runs during the first inning on Sunday. The Dodgers scored first-inning runs in four of the six games during the series and plated a total of nine first-inning runs across those contests.
• Round Rock 1B Matt Carpenter hit his 189th career home run (34 MiLB/155 MLB) in the second inning. Carpenter has hit three home runs in his last six games for the Express.

Next up: The Round Rock Express head on the road to take on the Sugar Land Space Cowboys on Tuesday night starting at 7:05 p.m. for the first of three games at Constellation Field. Both starting pitchers will be announced at a later date.

Single game tickets as well as full season and mini season membership plans are on sale now. For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!