Round Rock Defeats Tacoma 5-4 in Friday’s Series Opener

TACOMA, Wash. – The Round Rock Express (9-4 | 53-34) claimed a 5-4 victory over the Tacoma Rainiers (7-6 | 44-44) in Friday night’s series opener at Cheney Stadium.

Express reliever LHP Taylor Hearn (2-2, 3.66) claimed the win after 2.0 innings that saw one unearned run on three hits and one walk with two strikeouts. Rainiers starter LHP Kyle Hart (2-2, 4.89) allowed five runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out six en route to being tagged with the loss. Round Rock RHP Joe Barlow earned his first E-Train save of the season with a scoreless ninth-inning outing.

Along the Train Tracks:

• Express 3B Justin Foscue got the scoring started in the top of the first inning with a two-run home run that scored CF Bubba Thompson, who had led off the game with a single.
• C Sam Huff extended Round Rock’s lead to 4-0 in the third inning with a two-run shot of his own.
• Tacoma got on the board in the bottom of the third when RF Cade Marlowe went yard.
• The fourth inning saw Rainiers DH Zach DeLoach reach first base after being hit by a pitch. He then found second on a wild pitch and scored thanks to a single from 2B Mark Mathias.
• Tacoma kept chipping at the Round Rock lead with a run in the fifth. LF Sam Haggerty knocked a leadoff single before stealing second and scoring on a Didi Gregorius single, making it a 5-3 game.
• After two scoreless innings, the Rainiers came within one when CF Taylor Trammel hit a solo home run on the first pitch he saw during the home half of the eighth.

E-Train Excerpts:

• Round Rock 1B Blaine Crim led the way offensively with a 4-for-4 night at the plate. The infielder hit a double and home run and worked one walk. 3B Justin Foscue and DH Sandro Fabian both finished with multi-hit nights as Foscue went 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and one walk while Fabian hit 2-for-4 with a triple.
• The Express earned just their 10^th franchise win in Tacoma on Friday night. Heading into the series opener, Round Rock held a 9-30 record against Tacoma when playing at Cheney Stadium.

Next up: Round Rock and Tacoma get set for game two of the three-game set on Saturday night at Cheney Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 8:05 p.m. CT. Express RHP Chase Lee (3-1, 3.27) is slated to start against Rainiers RHP Marcus Walden (2-1, 8.10).

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!