Round Rock Falls Short In 5-4 Loss to Sugar Land

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (27-24) snapped their three-game home winning streak after falling 5-4 to the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (23-28) in the series opener on Tuesday night at Dell Diamond.

Sugar Land reliever LHP Matt Gage (1-0 3.97) earned the win after 1.1 innings where he held Round Rock hitless and walked just one. The loss was tagged to Round Rock LHP Grant Wolfram (0-1, 12.91) after he walked three and recorded only one out in the ninth inning. Space Cowboys RHP Joe Record collected the save with a scoreless ninth. He allowed one hit and struck out two.

Along the Train Tracks

• Sugar Land got on the board first after putting up three runs in the second inning on an RBI single from CF Justin Dirden and a bases-loaded double from DH Bligh Madris that scored two runs.
• In the home-half of the second, 2B Justin Foscue and 3B Davis Wendzel drew back-to-back walks. 1B Yoshi Tsutsugo doubled them in and the Space Cowboys led, 3-2.
• After a scoreless third inning from Express RHP Robert Dugger, the E-Train offense tied the game up at three after CF Rafael Ortega walked and eventually came home on a fielder’s choice combined with an error.
• Express 3B Davis Wendzel broke the tie in the fifth inning with a solo shot to left field and put the Express in front, 4-3.
• Express LHP Grant Wolfram recorded one out in the ninth but walked the next three batters which prompted a pitching change. RHP Chase Lee hit PH Alex McKenna with a pitch to tie the game. Madris worked another walk and Sugar Land took a 5-4 lead.
• With two outs in the ninth, C Sam Huff singled but Round Rock could not capitalize and fell 5-4 to Sugar Land.

E-Train Excerpts:

• After going 0.2 innings and giving up five earned runs on four hits in his first start with the Express, RHP Robert Dugger has battled back to post a 3.18 ERA (16 ER/45.1 IP) in his eight starts following that outing.
• Following his 389-foot blast tonight, Express 3B Davis Wendzel launched his seventh home run in his last 10 games. During this span, he’s batting .457 (16-for-35).
• Out of the bullpen, Texas Rangers RHP Spencer Howard made his first appearance of his rehab assignment and went 2.0 innings with four strikeouts and did not allow a hit or a walk.

Next up: Round Rock continues the series against Sugar Land at Dell Diamond with a doubleheader on Wednesday. Game one starts at 4:30 p.m. and game two will start approximately 30 minutes after game one’s completion or, in the event of an early wrap-up, 7:05 p.m. Express RHP James Marvel (1-1, 4.91) will start game one for Round Rock while Space Cowboys RHP Shawn Dubin (0-1, 6.27) will take the baseball for Sugar Land. Round Rock will start a pitcher to be announced in game two while Sugar Land will go with LHP Nick Allgeyer (0-1, 7.11).

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