LHP Wade LeBlanc Dominates as Express Rout Skeeters 7-0

SUGAR LAND, Texas – The Round Rock Express (20-12) rode a dominant start by LHP Wade LeBlanc (2-0, 2.50) to a shutout 7-0 victory over the first-place Sugar Land Skeeters (20-11) on Friday night at Constellation Field. Round Rock’s offense sparked to life, scoring four runs in the first two innings to set the tone for the evening.

LeBlanc allowed just three base hits and a walk in his 7.0 strong innings while matching his season high with eight strikeouts. The veteran starter needed only 83 pitches to complete his outing, with 60 landing in the strike zone. He retired the final 11 batters he faced to seal his second Express victory of the 2021 season. On the losing side, Sugar Land starter RHP Jojanse Torres (0-3, 6.86) allowed four runs on two hits and four walks in just 1.2 innings of work.

The E-Train offense wasted no time snapping out of their brief funk by putting three runs on the board in the top of the first inning. LF Delino DeShields led off the contest with a walk before SS Yonny Hernandez singled to put runners on the corners. After CF Leody Taveras sent DeShields home with a sacrifice fly, 1B Curtis Terry stepped to the plate and launched his team-leading ninth home run of the season, a two-run shot that gave Round Rock a 3-0 lead.

An inning later, 2B Trace Loehr worked a walk in his first plate appearance as a member of the Express. Torres then walked DeShield and Hernandez with two outs to load the bases. An ensuing wile pitch allowed Loehr to score, upping the gap to 4-0.

In the fourth, RF Carl Chester tallied a one-out single before Skeeters RHP Seth Martinez loaded the bases for the Express by walking Hernandez and Taveras in consecutive order. LHP Kit Scheetz then entered in relief and promptly walked 3B Andy Ibáñez to force another run home.

The Express put a bow on the 7-0 victory with two more runs in the fifth inning. C Yohel Pozo joined in on the hit parade with a leadoff single before Loehr sent his backstop home with a triple. The final run of the evening came via a Chester sacrifice fly that allowed Loehr to race home.

Round Rock RHP Collin Wiles relieved LeBlanc in the eighth, allowing just one base hit in 2.0 innings to close out the game and pull the Express level at 1-1 in the six-game series.

The two in-state rivals meet again on Saturday night. Round Rock RHP Jason Bahr (0-1, 13.24) is scheduled to face Sugar Land RHP Brett Conine (4-0, 1.88). First pitch at Constellation Field in Sugar Land is slated for 6:05 p.m.

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