Round Rock Locks Up Series Win in 11-6 Victory Over Sugar Land

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (7-4 | 51-34) took down the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (2-9 | 35-51) by a final score of 11-6 at Dell Diamond on Saturday night.

Express reliever RHP Ryan Tepera (5-0, 0.00) earned his team-leading fifth win after 1.0 inning of work as he did not allow a hit while walking and striking out one. Space Cowboys reliever RHP Kyle McGowin (2-5, 7.36) walked away with the loss after giving up seven runs on nine hits with one walk and three strikeouts in 3.1 innings.

Along the Train Tracks:

• Sugar Land jumped on the board early after 2B Joe Perez launched a solo home run in the first inning. 3B Rylan Bannon and C Cesar Salazar then went back-to-back with solo home runs in the second inning to make it a 3-0 game.
• In the home half of the third, E-Train 1B Dustin Harris doubled, advanced to third on a Space Cowboys error and was knocked in by RF Sandro Fabian to put Round Rock on the board 3-1. Two straight walks had the bases loaded for LF J.P. Martinez, who hit a two-RBI single to tie the game and three. A passed ball scored LF Bubba Thompson and the Express took over for a 4-3 lead.
• The Space Cowboys took the lead in the fifth after RF Alex McKenna drew a walk, advanced on a single from Perez and eventually scored on a Jon Singleton sacrifice fly, which tied the game. 1B JJ Matijevic smacked a two-run home run with two outs to put Sugar Land in front 6-4.
• Round Rock took a run back in the bottom of the fifth after Martinez doubled, stole third base and scored on a throwing error, which pulled the E-Train with one run.
• The game saw another tie, this time at 6-6, in the seventh after Harris hit a leadoff single, stole second base and scored on a double from Thompson. Martinez knocked a double to trade places with Thompson for a 7-6 lead.
• The Express tacked on four runs in the bottom of the eighth after an RBI double from Fabian and back-to-back-to-back RBI singles from SS Jonathan Ornelas, Thompson and Martinez plated four more.
• The Round Rock bullpen held Sugar Land scoreless in the final four frames and the 11-6 score stood final.

E-Train Excerpts:

• After tossing a scoreless sixth inning, Round Rock RHP Ryan Tepera extended his scoreless streak to 8.0 innings, which is the second longest on the team behind RHP Fer Ozuna’s1 innings.
• The Express had four stolen bases tonight, which is a season high for the team. They have tallied three stolen bases three times this season. Tonight’s seven doubles were one shy of the season-high eight doubles that the team recorded on April 30 against Albuquerque.
• With a 16-hit night tonight, the E-Train notched the ninth game this season with 15 or more hits. LF Bubba Thompson, CF J.P. Martinez, DH Elier Hernandez, 1B Dustin Harris and RF Sandro Fabian each recorded multi-hit games for the Express. Martinez led the way, going 4-for-5 with two doubles and four RBI.

Next up: Round Rock will face the Sugar Land Space Cowboys in the series finale at Dell Diamond on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. CT. Express RHP Robert Dugger (4-5, 4.74) is scheduled to face off against Space Cowboys RHP Misael Tamarez (0-3, 6.31).

Single game tickets as well as full season and mini season 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!