Express Clinches Series With 6-3 Win Over Space Cowboys

SUGAR LAND, Texas – The Round Rock Express (7-4) clinched the series victory over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (3-8) with a 6-3 win on Saturday night at Constellation Field. The Express tallied a season-high three home runs en route to their third-straight win.

The winning decision went to Round Rock LHP Jake Latz (2-1, 2.40), who allowed just one run and struck out five batters during his 6.0-inning start. Sugar Land RHP Chad Donato (1-1, 1.80) was tagged with the loss after his start saw two runs, two hits, three walks and one strikeout during 4.0 innings of work.

Along the Train Tracks:

• The Express scored the contest’s first runs in the second inning when 2B Nick Tanielu blasted his first home run of the season, scoring himself and RF Elier Hernandez, who had worked a leadoff walk.
• Round Rock LF Leody Taveras blasted a dinger of his own in the fifth frame to make it a 3-0 game.
• Sugar Land responded in the bottom of the inning as SS Franklin Barreto also hit a solo home run that went into right center field.
• The Express re-gained a three-run lead in the sixth inning after C Sam Huff and Hernandez knocked back-to-back singles and SS Davis Wendzel sent Huff home with a double.
• Wendzel joined the home run party in the eighth inning with a two-run shot to left center field that scored Hernandez and put Round Rock ahead 6-1.
• The Space Cowboys added one run in the bottom of both the eighth and nine frames. 2B Ronaldo Urdaneta scored in the eighth after hitting a leadoff single then scoring on a combination of a Corey Julks single and an Express error. In the ninth, 1B Scott Manea hit a one-out double and moved to third as Barreto singled. PH Davis Hensley then hit a single to score Manea for the 6-3 final.

E-Train Excerpts:

• Round Rock reached a double-digit tally for home runs during the contest and now totasl 11 for the season. Three dingers during one contest is the most for the Express so far during 2022.
• Offense has shined while in Sugar Land as the E-Train has been the first team to find home plate for the last five contests in a row.
• Out of the bullpen, Round Rock RHP Ryder Ryan and RHP Yerry Rodriguez earned holds for their outings. Ryan finished his 2.0 innings with one unearned run, two hits, one walk and three strikeouts. Rodriguez allowed one run on three hits and one walk during his one-inning outing.
• Express LF Leody Taveras, RF Elier Hernandez and SS Davis Wendzel all tallied two hits apiece while Wendzel and 2B Nick Tanielu recorded three and two RBI, respectively.

Next up: Round Rock and Sugar Land close out the six-game series on Sunday afternoon at Constellation Field Express RHP Kohei Arihara (0-1, 9.00) is scheduled to start up against Space Cowboys RHP JP France (0-0, 5.79). First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.

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