Sugar Land Takes 2-0 Series Lead Over Round Rock 

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Sugar Land Skeeters (7-1) earned a 5-1 win over the Round Rock Express (5-3) at Dell Diamond on Friday night to take an early series lead. RF Carl Chester led the way for the Express with a season-high three hits and scored the lone Round Rock run in the contest.

Express starter RHP Drew Anderson (1-1, 3.52) suffered his first loss of the season, allowing three runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out three during 4.0 innings on the mound. Sugar Land’s RHP Brett Conine (2-0, 0.84) got the win, allowing two hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 5.0 innings of play.

Sugar Land got off to an early start again, scoring three of its five runs in the first two innings. CF Bryan De La Cruz singled to left field to start the night’s action and reached third shortly after when LF Ronnie Dawson added a hit of his own. The Skeeters got on the board when DH Lorenzo Quintana hit the third single in as many batters faced to drive De La Cruz home.

In the top of the second inning, both 3B C.J. Hinojosa and 2B Miguelangel Sierra knocked their first home runs for the Skeeters, hitting solo shots to left field to give Sugar Land a 3-0 lead.

The Skeeters tallied their final two runs in the top of the seventh after four scoreless innings. De La Cruz scored his second of the night after getting on base with a single and advancing to third on a double from Dawson. RF Jose Siri brought both runners in off a single to right field.

Round Rock responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning. RF Carl Chester led the way with a triple to the center field wall before scoring as C Yohel Pozo reached base on a fielder’s choice.

The Express pitching staff recorded 10 strikeouts against the Skeeters, marking the seventh time this season the E-Train has totaled 10 or more.

The two teams meet again on Saturday night at Dell Diamond. Round Rock RHP Sam Gaviglio (1-0, 0.00) is scheduled to get the start up against Sugar Land LHP Ryan Hartman (0-1, 9.00), with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.

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