Round Rock Ends 2024 Season with 6-4 Loss in Tacoma

TACOMA, Wash. – The Round Rock Express (34-40 | 71-77) dropped its 2024 season finale to the Tacoma Rainiers (39-36 | 82-68) by a final score of 6-4 at Cheney Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Round Rock reliever RHP Marc Church (1-1, 3.22) was credited with a blown-save loss after allowing three runs to score on three hits and one walk with two strikeouts over 1.0 inning. Tacoma reliever RHP Jesse Hahn (5-1, 4.29) got the win following 1.0 shutout inning that included one punchout. Rainiers RHP Chris Devenski earned a save after shutting out the Express in the ninth inning while allowing one hit and recording two Ks.

Along the Train Tracks:

• Rainiers SS Samad Taylor gave the home team a 1-0 lead in the first inning as he scored thanks to a single from 1B Tyler Locklear after initially hitting a leadoff single.
• The Express pulled ahead 3-1 with three runs in the second frame. 2B Alex De Goti knocked a leadoff single before scoring as C Konner Piotto Piotto found third on a Rainiers error and scored when SS Theo Hardy hit into a force out. Hardy then stole second base and found home on a single from 3B Frainyer Chavez.
• 2B Ryan Bliss doubled then scored on a Locklear groundout to put Tacoma within one at 3-2 in the third inning.
• Round Rock pushed ahead 4-2 in the fifth when CF Kellen Strahm singled, stole second base then crossed home as 1B Ben Hartl
• The sixth inning saw the Rainiers trim the lead again, this time to 4-3, when DH Jason Vosler hit a solo home run.
• Tacoma broke out for three runs in the eighth inning to pull ahead, 6-4. Bliss doubled and scored on a single off the bat of CF Dominic Canzone before Canzone went on to score as LF Nick Solak 3B Jake Slaughter, who had worked a walk, plated the inning’s final run thanks to a base hit from RF Rhylan Thomas.

E-Train Excerpts:

• Round Rock 1B Ben Hartl, SS Theo Hardy and RHP Ben Anderson all made their Triple-A debuts on Sunday. At the plate, Hartl hit 1-for-4 with a double and one RBI while Hardy went 0-for-3 with one RBI, one walk, a stolen base and one run scored. On the mound, Anderson tossed 1.2 innings that saw one run and two hits.
• All Express hitters beside Hardy and LF Josh Hatcher recorded a hit on Sunday.
• With Sunday’s loss, Round Rock falls in the series against Tacoma, four games to two, and finishes 9-9-7 in series play during the 2024 season.

Next up: The Round Rock Express will return to Cheney Stadium to kick off the team’s 25^th season of baseball with Opening Day on Friday, March 28 against the Tacoma Rainiers. The E-Train will begin its 2025 home slate at Dell Diamond on Tuesday, April 1 against the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers affiliate).

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 X!