Round Rock Earns 8-6 Victory Over Sugar Land on Saturday

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (1-1) picked up its first win of the season, defeating the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (1-1) on Saturday night by a final score of 8-6 at Dell Diamond.

Round Rock reliever RHP Jack Leiter (1-0, 3.60) took home the victory when he struck out nine batters over 5.0 innings, allowing just two runs after taking over for starter RHP Michael Lorenzen, who was making a Major League rehab appearance. The loss went to Sugar Land reliever RHP Joel Kuhnel (0-1, 27.00), who allowed three runs in one inning of work.

Along the Train Tracks:

• Sugar Land opened the scoring when CF Joey Loperfido hit a two-run home run in the top of the first inning which scored LF Corey Julks, who had doubled in the prior at-bat to make it 2-0.
• Round Rock punched back with a home run of its own in the second inning, as the team’s reigning home run leader, 3B Davis Wendzel, hit one over the fence in left center field to make the score 2-1.
• In the fifth inning, Express SS Jonathan Ornelas hit a two-run home run, scoring LF Dustin Harris to even the game at three. C Andrew Knapp then scored on a 2B Justin Foscue RBI single to take 4-3 lead, the first Express lead of the season. The fourth and final run of the inning would come in the form of a fielder’s choice by 1B Blaine Crim, scoring CF Elier Hernandez and making the score 5-3.
• E-Train RHP Jack Leiter struck out the side looking in the sixth inning, as a part of striking out five consecutive Space Cowboys.
• Loperfido added a two-run home run in the eighth, driving in 1B Will Wagner. The center fielder’s second blast of the game, and third in two games, tied it at five.
• Round Rock RF Trevor Hauver knocked in Harris to take a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the eighth. Knapp traded places with Hauver on an RBI double to increase the Round Rock lead to 7-5. Ornelas scored on a wild pitch to make it 8-5.
• 2B Shay Whitcomb would score the sixth run for Sugar Land on an RBI groundout by DH Pedro Leon in the top of the ninth. Round Rock RHP Marc Church earned his first save of 2024, thanks in large part to a game-saving catch in center field by Hernandez, who robbed Space Cowboys SS Jesus Bastidas of a two-out, game-tying two-run homer.

E-Train Excerpts:

• Texas Rangers RHP Michael Lorenzen made his Round Rock debut on a Major League rehab assignment. He earned a no-decision after going 2.2 innings, where he allowed three runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out three.
• In addition to Lorenzen, RF Trevor Hauver and C Andrew Knapp each saw their first action in a Round Rock uniform. Hauver went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and a run scored, while Knapp’s night saw him go 2-for-3 with an RBI double, a walk and a run scored. Hauver recorded his first Triple-A hit, RBI and double in the game.
• Express RHP Jack Leiter, in his Dell Diamond debut, threw 4.1 innings before allowing a hit.

Next up: Round Rock and Sugar Land are set for the rubber match on Sunday, March 31 at Dell Diamond, with RHP Adrian Sampson (--) scheduled to start for the Express against Space Cowboys RHP Rhett Kouba (--).

Single game tickets as well as full season and other membership plans are on sale now. For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!