Round Rock Claims First Road Win with 7-6 Final in Sugar Land

SUGAR LAND, Texas – The Round Rock Express (4-3) earned its first road win of the season with a 7-6 victory over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (2-5) at Constellation Field during Tuesday night’s series opener.

The night’s win on the mound went to Texas Rangers RHP Garrett Richards (1-0, 9.00), who tossed one inning of relief during his Major League rehab appearance. The righty allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits with one strikeout. Sugar Land RHP Brett Conine (0-1, 11.12) was tagged with the loss after a 2.2-inning start that saw seven runs on 11 hits and one walk with three punchouts.

Along the Train Tracks:

• Round Rock scored the first runs of the night in the top of the first inning when LF Bubba Thompson knocked a leadoff single and CF Leody Taveras joined him on base with a one-out single before RF Zach Reks sent his fellow outfielders home with a double.
• Sugar Land put one on the board in the bottom of the frame as CF Pedro Leon worked a walk, stole second base, moved to third on an Express error and finally scored on a J.J. Matijevic double. The score trimmed Round Rock’s lead to 2-1 heading into the second inning.
• The Express added two in the second, taking a 4-1 lead. 3B Davis Wendzel and 2B Ryan Dorow found their spots on base by hitting a double and being hit by a pitch, respectively, before moving into scoring position on a Thompson single that loaded the bases. Wendzel was sent home as SS Josh Smith hit into a fielder’s choice and Dorow scored on a double from Taveras.
• Round Rock continued its hot start in the third inning when C Sam Huff, DH Yohel Pozo and Wendzel hit singles that loaded the bases. Dorow grounded into a double play to score Huff before Thompson’s single scored Pozo and Smith’s base hit sent Thompson home after the left fielder stole second base. The inning helped the E-Train extend their advantage to 7-1.
• After a scoreless fourth inning, the Space Cowboys started working at their comeback in the fifth as they plated two runs. DH Michael Papierski and RF Corey Julks knocked back-to-back singles then moved into scoring position on a passed ball. A Matijevic single scored both runners, cutting the lead to 7-3.
• Sugar Land plated another run in the sixth frame when SS Alex de Goti scored thanks to a Papierski single after hitting a one-out triple.
• The home team made it a one-run game in the seventh after Matijevic hit a home run into right field, bringing Space Cowboys LF Alex McKenna, who had reached on a fielder’s choice, in with him for the 7-6 score.

E-Train Excerpts:

• Round Rock CF Leody Taveras finished the night 4-for-5 with a double and one RBI while LF Bubba Thompson hit 3-for-5 with one RBI. Taveras is currently batting a team and league-high .538 (14-26) on the season with Thompson right behind at .407 (11-27).
• SS Josh Smith, C Sam Huff and 3B Davis Wendzel all finished with two hits apiece while Smith and RF Zach Reks led the way with two RBI each.
• In addition to a stellar night at the plate, Thompson stole his fifth base of the season, which sits as the most in the Pacific Coast League as of Tuesday night.
• The Express recorded its first outfield assist of the season as RF Zach Reks helped in tagging a Space Cowboy runner out at first base.
• Round Rock earned its third consecutive save thanks to a hitless ninth frame from RHP Daniel Robert.
• Starter RHP Kohei Arihara pitched 4.0 innings that saw one run, two hits, two walks and four punchouts.

Next up: Round Rock and Sugar Land play for game two at Constellation Field on Wednesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Express RHP A.J. Alexy (0-0, 9.00) is set to take the mound opposite Space Cowboys LHP Jonathan Bermudez (0-0, 0.00).

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