Round Rock Claims Game Five Victory Over Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – A seven-run inning helped the Round Rock Express (37-34) defeat the Oklahoma City Dodgers (44-27) by a final score of 8-3 on Saturday night at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The win cut the Dodgers’ series lead to 3-2 heading into Sunday’s series finale.

Round Rock RHP Spencer Howard (2-2, 4.35) earned the win after a 5.0-inning start that saw two runs, two hits, two walks and five strikeouts. Oklahoma City RHP Beau Burrows (4-4, 5.82) went home with the loss after allowing five runs on three hits and four walks during his start that went 1.2 innings.

Along the Train Tracks:

• Round Rock posted a seven-run second inning to create a large gap early on. 1B Elier Hernandez hit a solo home run with one out to start the frame’s scoring. 2B Nash Knight followed with a triple before C Jack Kruger flew out and the rest of the inning’s action went on with two outs recorded.
• Back-to-back walks from SS Ryan Dorow and CF Bubba Thompson loaded the bases before a third straight walk from LF Steele Walker scored Knight. After a Dodgers pitching change, 3B Diosbel Arias knocked a single to send Dorow and Thompson across home plate for a 4-0 lead.
• Express DH Sam Huff closed the inning out after blasting a home run of his own that cleared the boundaries of Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The three-run dinger also scored Walker and Arias, increasing the gap to 7-0, before RF Josh Sale grounded out to end the frame.
• Oklahoma City put their first runner across in the fourth inning as RF Jason Martin knocked a homer.
• The Dodgers scored in the next two innings to trim the gap to 7-3 when 2B Ty Kelly tripled then scored on a wild pitch in the fifth frame and DH Michael Busch hit a home run in the sixth.
• The E-Train added an insurance run in the ninth inning to go up 8-3. After working a leadoff walk, Huff moved to third base on a Sale single before Hernandez sent Huff home on a sacrifice fly. RHP Yerry Rodriguez allowed one Oklahoma City hit during the bottom of the frame, but retired the final batter via groundout to secure the victory.

E-Train Excerpts:

• Both 1B Elier Hernandez and DH Sam Huff blasted home runs for the second consecutive game after going yard on both Friday and Saturday nights.
• Four Express batters recorded multiple hits with Hernandez, 3B Diosbel Arias, RF Josh Sale and C Jack Kruger all tallying two. Three earned multiple RBI as Huff lead the way with three and Hernandez and Arias each earned two.
• Round Rock drew multi-digit walks for the sixth time this season as all but one starter earned a free base. 2B Nash Knight and SS Ryan Dorow both worked two walks, contributing to the E-Train’s total of 10.

Next up: Round Rock and Oklahoma City close out their six-game series at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark on Sunday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 2:05 p.m. Express RHP A.J. Alexy (3-3, 7.31) is slated for the start against RHP Justin Hagenman (3-1, 7.25).

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