Round Rock Storms Past Omaha in 5-0 Shutout

ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Round Rock Express (49-34) shined in a 5-0 shutout win against the Omaha Storm Chasers (38-46) on Monday night at Dell Diamond. The team used a high-scoring sixth inning backed up by incredible pitching from RHP Framber Valdez (1-0, 0.84) to shut down the Storm Chasers.
Valdez earned the win after a lights-out start. The left-hander threw 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing only four hits while striking out 10 along the way. Storm Chasers RHP Zach Lovvorn (3-8, 8.07) suffered the loss after allowing five runs, four of which were earned, on five hits, a walk and a pair of wild pitches in a 4.0-inning appearance out of the bullpen.
The teams swapped five scoreless frames until Round Rock's offense exploded in the sixth. LF Taylor Jones, CF Derek Fisher and 2B Jack Mayfield quickly loaded the bases with consecutive singles. The first of Lovvorn's wild pitches then scored Jones for the opening run of the evening.
The next at-bat, SS Josh Rojas reached base on a fielder's choice that erased Fisher at home, but advanced Mayfield to third. DH Drew Ferguson then drew a walk to load the bases yet again for RF Kyle Tucker , who would quickly plated Mayfield and Rojas while pushing Ferguson to third via a base hit.
After the pair of runs, Lovvorn inadvertently threw a live ball into the dugout that resulted in a two-base error on the Storm Chasers' pitcher. The mistake pushed Ferguson to home plate while Tucker trotted from first to third. Moments later, Lovvorn's second wild pitch of the frame allowed Tucker to race home with Round Rock's fifth run.
The E-Train bullpen then held off the Storm Chasers, allowing only one hit in the three remaining frames to finalize the 5-0 shutout victory.
The foes battle in game four on Tuesday night. Round Rock aims for a series win while Omaha hopes to avoid a three-game skid. Express RHP Brady Rodgers (4-0, 3.28) is slated to start opposite Storm Chasers LHP Eric Skoglund (1-2, 6.75). First pitch at Dell Diamond is scheduled for 7:05 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