Express Pick Up 12-7 Win Over Aviators on Thursday

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (19-16) and Las Vegas Aviators (17-19) powered through 36 minutes of delays as the E-Train worked to a 12-7 win on Thursday night at Dell Diamond. The night saw both a power and rain delay as high winds and storms circled the ballpark.

Round Rock starter RHP Adrian Sampson (5-1, 4.42) claimed the win with 5.0 innings of one-run baseball that saw two strikeouts. Las Vegas starter LHP Brady Basso (0-1, 34.71) went home with the loss after allowing nine runs on 10 hits and one walk with three punchouts over his 2.1 innings on the bump.

Along the Train Tracks:

• Scoring started early as both teams put up one run in the first inning. In the top of the frame, Las Vegas SS Jacob Wilson rounded the bases on a double, flyout from C Yohel Pozo and single from DH Drew Lugbauer. In the home half, Round Rock CF Derek Hill tripled then scored thanks to a double off the bat of LF Dustin Harris.
• Express C Andrew Knapp hit a solo home run to make it 2-1 in the second.
• Round Rock put up eight runs in the third inning, extending its lead to 10-1. The inning saw all but one E-Train batter cross home plate and included two doubles, five singles and one walk. 2B Alex De Goti provided the biggest hit of the frame with a grand slam into left center field.
• In the eighth inning, Express SS Jose Barrero worked a leadoff walk then advanced on a Jantzen Witte single, De Goti forceout and was sent home as Hill grounded out.
• Las Vegas plated three in the sixth thanks to back-to-back home runs from Lugbauer and 3B Logan Davidson as the visitors made it an 11-4 contest.
• The bottom of the sixth saw a solo home run from DH Sam Huff that brought the Round Rock total to 12.
• The Aviators put three more runs on the board with two in the seventh inning and one in the eighth. 2B Hoy Park and CF Daz Cameron scored in the seventh before Davidson came home on a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

E-Train Excerpts:

• All but one member of the E-Train lineup recorded a hit on Thursday night while all batters reached base at least once and scored at least once. CF Derek Hill led the way with a 3-for-5 night at the plate, just a home run shy of the cycle. Five other batters recorded multiple hits.
• Two Round Rock batters recorded multiple RBI. 2B Alex De Goti drove in the most runs on the night with four on his grand slam. The longball was the infielder’s first with the E-Train this season.
• Express reliever RHP Bryan Chi posted the lone shutout outing on the mound, going 1.1 innings with two walks.
• RHP Reid Birlingmair made his Round Rock debut on Thursday out of the bullpen. The righty tossed 1.2 innings of relief and allowed three runs on three hits and two walks with one strikeout.

Next up: Round Rock and Las Vegas will play for game four of the six-game series on Friday night. Aviators RHP Aaron Brooks (1-5, 5.06) is set to make the start against Express RHP Gerson Garabito (1-2, 2.81). First pitch at Dell Diamond is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CT.

Single game tickets as well as full season and other membership plans are on sale now. For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!