Round Rock Blanks Sugar Land With 3-0 Victory

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (73-59) shut out the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (61-69) for the second time during the series thanks to a final score of 3-0 on Thursday night at Dell Diamond.

Express RHP Zak Kent (1-0, 0.73) earned his first Triple-A win after a 6.2-inning start that saw four hits, two walks and eight punchouts. Space Cowboys RHP Misael Tamarez (0-1, 2.25) went home with the loss after allowing one earned run and two hits with four strikeouts during his start that lasted 4.0 frames. Round Rock RHP Kyle Cody claimed his first save of the season with 2.0 shutout innings of relief.

Along the Train Tracks:

• Three scoreless innings cruised by before Round Rock snatched a 1-0 lead in the fourth. CF J.P. Martinez hit a leadoff double before scoring thanks to a two-out double from 1B Andy Ibáñez.
• The Express doubled its lead to 2-0 in the next frame when 2B Diosbel Arias knocked a single, moved to second as LF Sandro Fabian singled and crossed home plate on a single from SS Ryan Dorow.
• Round Rock plated a third run in the eighth inning. Ibáñez recorded a leadoff single then rounded the bases on a wild pitch and Davis Wendzel single.
• Sugar Land threatened in the final three innings as they put two runners on base in the seventh and three on in the eighth before putting their leadoff man on first in the ninth. After a strikeout from Express RHP Kyle Cody, Space Cowboys SS Edwin Diaz hit into a double play to end the game at 3-0.

E-Train Excerpts:

• Express 1B Andy Ibáñez led the way with two hits on Thursday night. The infielder finished 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored for his 20th multi-hit game of the season.
• The Round Rock bullpen closed out the team’s eighth shutout of the season by combining for 2.1 frames. LHP James Jones got one out before RHP Kyle Cody threw 2.0 frames that saw one hit, two walks and one strikeout.

Next up: The two teams face off for game four of the series on Friday night. Express LHP Kolby Allard (2-3, 4.81) is slated to make the start up against Space Cowboys RHP Chad Donato (4-7, 4.98). First pitch at Dell Diamond is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Single game tickets are available for purchase or bring your group to Dell Diamond. For more information on 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!