SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The Round Rock Express (18-12) rode a ninth-inning, two-run Jack Mayfield home run to a 6-5 win over the San Antonio Missions (17-14) in Monday afternoon's series finale at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, forcing a split in the four-game opening leg of the I-35 Rivalry
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The Round Rock Express (18-12) rode a ninth-inning, two-run Jack Mayfield home run to a 6-5 win over the San Antonio Missions (17-14) in Monday afternoon's series finale at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, forcing a split in the four-game opening leg of the I-35 Rivalry Series.
Round Rock LHP Ryan Hartman (4-0, 3.86) earned his Pacific Coast League-leading fourth win of the season after holding San Antonio to a pair of runs on five hits in 6.0 innings of work. On the losing side, Missions RHP Jake Petricka (0-1, 18.00) gave up two runs on two hits and a walk in an inning. E-Train LHP Reymin Guduan picked up his second save of the year after working around a late Missions rally in the ninth inning to preserve the 6-5 win.
The home side opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning as RF Nate Orf continued his hot series with a two-out home run. Round Rock responded an inning later thanks to a solo homer off the bat of DH Yordan Alvarez , his team-leading 13th of the season. The early home run hitting contest continued into the bottom of the fourth as 2B Keston Hiura launched a solo shot of his own to give the Missions the lead right back at 2-1.
The back-and-forth affair continued into the fifth when E-Train C Garrett Stubbs jumped aboard via a fielder's choice that eliminated LF Drew Ferguson at second base after he worked a walk. An ensuing Alex De Goti double sent Stubbs racing home from first with the game-tying run.
In the seventh, Round Rock 3B Nick Tanielu and Ferguson hit back-to-back doubles to give the Express their first lead of the day at 3-2. After a Stubbs groundout moved Ferguson to third, Myles Straw grounded into a force out that left just enough time for Ferguson to race home.
The E-Train upped the gap to 6-2 in the ninth inning with what proved to be a crucial two-run homer off the bat of Mayfield. His sixth longball of the season scored Straw, who had previously worked a one-out walk.
With Round Rock RHP Jose Bravo on for his third inning of relief in his Triple-A debut, San Antonio CF Tyrone Taylor led off the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run. After an ensuing David Freitas double, Bravo was replaced with Guduan, who walked LF Jake Hager prior to an RBI double off the bat of 1B Jacob Nottingham . With the game suddenly in the balance, Guduan enticed C Tuffy Gosewisch into a flyout prior to an Orf fielder's choice out that scored Hager from third for San Antonio's fifth run of the day. Guduan then retired SS Mauricio Dubón for the final out, putting a bow on the 6-5 win that forced a series split between the two Central Texas rivals.
Round Rock now heads north for a four-game series against the Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals affiliate). E-Train RHP Corbin Martin (1-1, 1.40) is scheduled to start Tuesday night's series opener against Storm Chasers RHP Heath Fillmyer (1-1, 7.20). First pitch at Werner Park in Papillion, Nebraska is set for 6:35 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.
