Crim Swats Away Bees, Express Roll to 9-4 Victory

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (12-13) ran away with a 9-4 win over the Salt Lake Bees (8-17) on Friday night at Dell Diamond. Round Rock has taken three of the first four games in the six-game series.

Express starter RHP Adrian Sampson (3-1, 5.61) took home the victory after he tossed 5.0 innings. He allowed three earned runs on seven hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Bees starter RHP Zach Plesac (0-4, 7.03) was tagged with the loss after surrendering four runs on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

Along the Train Tracks:

• Salt Lake scored the first run of the night in the first frame. SS Jack Lopez sliced a triple into right field to score CF Jordyn Adams and the Bees led 1-0.
• Round Rock answered in the bottom of the first. After CF Derek Hill singled, 1B Blaine Crim belted a two-run home run to left field to give the E-Train a 2-1 lead.
• The Bees tied the game at two in the third inning. DH Jason Martin singled with two outs to score SS Elliot Soto.
• Express C Sam Huff delivered a two-out single in the third inning to score two runs. After CF Derek Hill and 3B Dustin Harris singled earlier in the frame, Huff knocked them both home.
• Salt Lake tagged Round Rock for a run in the fifth inning. LF Cole Tucker singled to score Adams and the Bees cut the Express lead at 4-3.
• Crim made Salt Lake pay in the sixth inning. With DH Andrew Knapp on third base and 2B Jonathan Ornelas on second base, the Bees elected to intentionally walk Harris to face Crim. The righty slammed a double down the left field line which cleared the bases and brought the Express lead to 7-3.
• Salt Lake added a run in the seventh frame. With two outs, Tucker drove in DH Jason Martin with a single. It was Tucker’s second RBI of the game and it cut the Round Rock lead to 7-4.
• In the eighth inning, Crim put the cherry on top with a two-run homer down the left field line that scored CF Derek Hill and the Express led 9-4. RHP Yerry Rodriguez retired the side in the ninth to secure the win.

E-Train Excerpts:

• Round Rock 1B Blaine Crim blasted his fourth home run of the season and his first Dell Dinger of 2024. Crim finished the night 3-for-5 with a double, two home runs, two runs scored and seven RBI. It was a career-high seven RBI for the righty. He had posted five RBI on four separate occasions in his career.
• Express CF Derek Hill batted leadoff and collected a 3-for-5 night with a double, two runs scored and a strikeout. Hill is now slashing .343/.395/.557 with seven doubles, one triple, two home runs, five RBI, 15 runs scored, five walks and 20 strikeouts this year.

Next up: Round Rock will look for a series win tomorrow as they take on Salt Lake in game five of the six-game series at Dell Diamond. Express RHP Collin Wiles (0-1, 10.80) is scheduled to start against Bees RHP Brett Kerry (0-0, 9.00). First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m. CT.

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