Round Rock Walks Off Tacoma for 2-1 Victory

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (7-4) claimed its first walk-off win of the season as they topped the Tacoma Rainiers (6-5) by a final score of 2-1 in 10 innings on Thursday night at Dell Diamond.

Round Rock RHP Dominic Leone (2-0, 1.80) walked away with a blown-save win after giving up the tying run in the ninth inning then securing the win in the 10th. The righty surrendered one run and two walks while striking out two during 2.0 innings of relief. Tacoma RHP Matt Willrodt (0-1, -.--) entered in the 10^th inning and took the loss after he did not record an out while allowing one unearned run, one hit and one walk.

Along the Train Tracks:

• The action started slowly as both squads combined for just five hits and no runs through the first six innings. Round Rock RF J.P. Martinez knocked a leadoff single in the bottom of the first and Tacoma recorded two hits in both the third and fourth innings.
• The Express broke the scoreless tie in the seventh when 2B Justin Foscue and 1B Yoshi Tsutsugo hit back-to-back doubles, making it a 1-0 game.
• Rainiers 3B Jose Caballero tied things up in the top of the ninth inning when he drew a leadoff walk before scoring thanks to a double from C Jacob Nottingham.
• With nothing doing for Round Rock in the bottom of the ninth, the contest went into extra innings. Tacoma was able to advance their runner to third on a groundout but came up short during the top of the 10th inning. The E-Train earned the 2-1 walk-off victory as Tsutsugo drove home LF Rafael Ortega, who began the frame at second base.

E-Train Excerpts:

• Before Thursday night’s seventh-inning run, Round Rock had not scored a run in 17 innings. The E-Train’s last run scored had come on Tuesday afternoon during the contest’s sixth inning, before the team claimed a 10-2 win.
• The Express pitching staff shut the Rainiers out through 9.0 frames. Starter LHP Bernardo Flores tossed 2.2 shutout innings that saw one strikeout while LHP John King, RHP Zack Littell and RHP Yerry Rodriguez all combined for 5.1 scoreless innings and five punchouts.
• 1B Yoshi Tsutsugo led the way on offense, going 2-for-4 with one double and two RBI.

Next up: The two teams will play for game four on Friday night at Dell Diamond. Express LHP Cody Bradford (2-0, 0.00) is slated to start on the mound up against Rainiers LHP Tommy Milone (1-0, 0.00). Tomorrow’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT.

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