Express Fall in Walk-Off Fashion for Second Consecutive Night 

EL PASO, Texas – The Round Rock Express (14-10 | 58-40) fell to the El Paso Chihuahuas (9-15 | 41-58) by a final score of 10-9 in 10 innings on Thursday night at Southwest University Park. The loss included six lead changes and the first Round Rock triple play in 10 years.

Round Rock reliever RHP Chase Lee (3-2, 2.86) was tagged with the blown save and loss after allowing the tying runs in the ninth inning to score. He also surrendered a leadoff double in the 10^th inning that scored the winning run. The righty recorded 0.2 innings and gave up one run on three hits and one walk. El Paso reliever RHP Jake Sanchez (3-4, 6.17) earned the win after throwing 2.0 scoreless innings that included two hits, one walk and four strikeouts.

Along the Train Tracks:

• The Chihuahuas got on the board first in the first frame. With 3B Eguy Rosario on third base, 1B Rangel Ravelo belted a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.
• Round Rock responded in the third inning with two runs after a solo home run from C Matt Whatley tied the game at one. CF J.P. Martinez followed with a triple and crossed home after a wild pitch from RHP Anderson Espinoza.
• Express LHP Jake Latz walked two to start the bottom of the fourth inning but his defense turned a 5-4-3 triple play to evade the threat.
• In the following inning, El Paso tied the game at two after RF Oscar Mercado doubled and was knocked in on a single from C Austin Nola.
• The visitors broke the tie again in the sixth inning after Martinez walked and RF Sandro Fabian smacked a two-run home run to put the E-Train in front 4-2. The lead did not last long after LF Ben Gamel launched a two-run homer in the home half of the sixth to even the game at four. Three straight El Paso hits plated the Chihuahuas fifth run of the night as DH Kevin Plawecki collected an RBI single.
• In the seventh inning, LF Dustin Harris knocked in a run on a single before 3B Dio Arias doubled to score another. With Arias on third base and Whatley on first base, Whatley stole second base after getting caught in a rundown. The rundown allowed Arias to trot home from third base and extended the lead to 7-5.
• The E-Train lead was extended to 9-5 in the eighth inning after Arias had two runners on and doubled them both home.
• The Express gave up four runs in the ninth inning after RHP Alex Speas loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batsman. 2B Tim Lopes drove in two runs with a single to make it a 9-7 game. RHP Chase Lee replaced Speas and gave up an RBI double to Rosario which cut the lead to one. Ravelo hit a sacrifice fly and tied the game.
• In the 10^th inning, the Express left the bases loaded and were unable to scratch a run across. In the bottom of the inning, DH Kevin Plawecki doubled to secure the 10-9 victory.

E-Train Excerpts:

• The Express turned a 5-4-3 triple play in the fourth inning which is the first triple play the club has turned since 2013 when facing he Iowa Cubs. It was the first-ever triple play for or against El Paso and the first-ever at Southwest University Park.
• Round Rock RF Sandro Fabian and C Matt Whatley each launched home runs against El Paso. It’s the first time the team has tallied two home runs in a game since July 16 at Tacoma. Prior to tonight, the Express had hit only four home runs in their previous eight games.
• After tonight’s loss, the E-Train have lost three consecutive games on the road for the first time this season.
• Express DH Elier Hernandez tripled in the eighth inning and finished 1-for-5. He is tied for the lead with El Paso 2B Tim Lopes for the Pacific Coast League lead in hits (104). Lopes posted two knocks tonight.

Next up: Round Rock and El Paso will play in game four of the series at Southwest University Park on Friday with first pitch set for 7:35 p.m. CT. Express RHP Glenn Otto (0-0, 2.70) is scheduled to start against Chihuahuas RHP Matt Waldron (1-7, 7.30).