Round Rock Rallies for 12-9 Victory Over El Paso 

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (18-9) scored an impressive 12 unanswered runs to overcome a 9-0 deficit and defeat the El Paso Chihuahuas (11-15) by a final score of 12-9 on Saturday night at Dell Diamond. 3B Andy Ib**áñez** led the way during the five-inning Express rally, recording six RBI on three hits and scoring twice.

Round Rock reliever RHP Jake Lemoine (2-0, 0.66) earned the win with two perfect innings that saw two strikeouts. The loss went to El Paso RHP Aaron Northcraft (0-2, 9.00), who allowed five runs on five hits and a walk during his 0.2-inning appearance. RHP Ryder Ryan got the Express save, his first of the season, with a hitless 1.1 innings in which he struck out four batters faced.

El Paso put runs on the board first, plating three in the third inning. C Michael Cantu drew a leadoff walk before LF John Andreoli hit a home run to left field for the first two runs. After recording a triple, CF Brian O’Grady crossed home next on a Patrick Kivlehan base hit.

The Chihuahuas increased their lead to 9-0 with six more runs in the fourth. 3B Nick Tanielu worked a walk to lead the inning off and moved to third on back-to-back singles from 1B Gosuke Katoh and Cantu, which loaded the bases. SS Pedro Florim**ó**n drew the inning’s second walk to score Tanielu, making it a 4-0 contest. Katoh followed thanks to a sacrifice fly from 2B Ivan Castillo. O’Grady then hit a three-run homer, bringing in Cantu and Florimón. The inning’s sixth run came across as Kivlehan launched a solo homer to left field.

Round Rock started its rally in the bottom of the fourth frame, plating three runs as Ibáñez hit a three-run homer to left-center field, scoring C John Hicks and DH Curtis Terry to trim El Paso’s lead to 9-3.

The Express’ big inning came in the fifth, when four E-Train runners came home. Round Rock LF Leody Taveras and 1B Eli White drew back-to-back walks to start the inning. Terry singled to score Taveras before Ibáñez doubled, bringing White in and sending Terry around to third base. RF Carl Chester recorded his only hit of the contest with an RBI single that allowed Terry to cross home plate. The fourth run came when Ibáñez scored on a Charles Leblanc groundout.

Round Rock’s first lead of the contest came in the sixth inning when three runners scored to make it 10-9. After CF Delino DeShields drew a leadoff walk before moving to third and scoring off singles from Taveras and White. The two baserunners stole second and third to put both runners in scoring position. Hicks tallied a two-RBI single, scoring Taveras then White for the go-ahead run.

The E-Train kept rolling to add two insurance runs in the eighth inning when Ibáñez recorded his fifth and sixth RBI of the contest with a single, scoring White and Hicks.

The two teams meet again on Sunday at Dell Diamond. Round Rock LHP Wade LeBlanc (0-0, 5.40) is scheduled get his second start of the season against El Paso RHP Evan Miller (1-0, 2.00). First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m.

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