SUMMERLIN, Nevada- The Round Rock Express (35-24) handed the Las Vegas Aviators (33-27) a taste of their own medicine with an 11-5 victory on Wednesday night at Las Vegas Ballpark. Express 3B Nick Tanielu shot off two longballs while the team piled on 12 hits in the win. Express RHP
SUMMERLIN, Nevada- The Round Rock Express (35-24) handed the Las Vegas Aviators (33-27) a taste of their own medicine with an 11-5 victory on Wednesday night at Las Vegas Ballpark. Express 3B Nick Tanielu shot off two longballs while the team piled on 12 hits in the win.
Express RHP Akeem Bostick (4-2, 5.16) earned his fourth win of the year in a strong 6.0 inning start. The righty held Las Vegas to only three runs on six hits while striking out the side in his final inning of the work. Additionally, Round Rock LHP Ryan Hartman notched his first save as he struck out six to hold the Aviators to two runs on three hits in 3.0 inning out of the bullpen. Las Vegas RHP Parker Dunshee (1-3, 6.29) suffered the loss after allowing six runs, five of which were earned, on five hits and four walks.
Round Rock struck first in the opening frame as CF Drew Ferguson sent a single into center field before stealing second base. LF Yordan Alvarez then sent a line drive into the outfield to score Ferguson for the game's opening run. Las Vegas quickly leveled the score in the home half when 2B Jorge Mateo notched a solo home run.
The Aviators experienced some turbulence from there as the E-Train combined for five more runs until the home team could answer back. Express C Lorenzo Quintana was hit by a pitch to lead off the second prior to back-to-back walks from Tanielu and SS Anibal Sierra. With the bases loaded, 2B Josh Rojas plated Quintana on a sacrifice fly, followed closely thereafter by Tanielu, who raced home from second on a Ferguson double.
Round Rock continued to dominate in the third as LF Taylor Jones notched a base hit and advanced to second on a Sheldon Nuese fielding error prior to an AJ Reed RBI double. Sierra joined the RBI party as he tacked on a base hit that would send Reed to home plate, increasing the Express lead to 5-1. With two outs in the third, Aviators C Beau Taylor committed a throwing error that allowed Tanielu to hustle home and add another run for Round Rock.
In the fifth, C Jamie Ritchie entered the game as a defensive substitution for Quintana and walked in his first plate appearance before advancing to second via a Sierra ground out. The backstop was then waved home thanks to a Rojas double that widened the gap to 7-1. In the bottom half of the inning, Las Vegas found the scoreboard for only the second time of the night with a Taylor home run.
Round Rock quickly fired back, as RF Kyle Tucker worked a leadoff walk and stole second base in the sixth. Alvarez reached base on another Aviators walk, then the pair added two runs on a respective Jones single and Reed sacrifice fly. However, the longball struck again in the Aviators half of the sixth as DH Seth Brown added the team's third home run.
In the seventh, Tanielu carved out a piece of Las Vegas Ballpark's left field for his fifth homer, and the 10th E-Train run of the evening.
Las Vegas used the seventh and eighth innings to threaten a comeback beginning with a Dustin Fowler RBI fielder's choice that scored RF Mark Peyton after he doubled. In the eighth, 1B Corban Joseph doubled in another run, cutting Round Rock's lead in half at 10-5.
Finally in the ninth, Tanielu shut down any chance of a Las Vegas comeback with his second home run of the night to secure an 11-5 win over the Aviators in game two.
The Express aim to win their only series of the season against the Aviators in Thursday night's finale. Las Vegas RHP Jake Buchanan (3-3, 6.00) is set to start against a Round Rock pitcher to be announced. First pitch at Las Vegas Ballpark is scheduled for 9:05 p.m.
For more information on the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and join the conversation during our historic 20th season using #20STROng.
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Round Rock Express Baseball, owned and operated by Ryan Sanders Baseball, LP, is the proud Triple-A Affiliate of the Houston Astros and a member of the Pacific Coast League
