Rainiers Take First Win Over Express in Triple-A Final Stretch

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (63-59) fell to the Tacoma Rainiers (74-49) 13-10 in extra innings on Saturday night at Dell Diamond as the visitors earned their first win of the Triple-A Final Stretch. E-Train 2B Domingo Leyba and 3B Davis Wendzel posted impressive outings as the two both knocked a double and home run while Leyba tallied five RBI and Wendzel totaled two.

Round Rock reliever RHP Buck Farmer (2-1, 3.46) was tagged with his first loss of the season as he allowed three runs, two earned, during his 0.2 innings of work to start the 10th. Tacoma reliever RHP Jimmy Yacabonis (4-0, 2.23) came out with the win thanks to a scoreless ninth inning of work that saw two strikeouts.

After a scoreless first inning, both teams plated their initial runs of the night in the second. For the Rainiers, RF Dillon Thomas hit a two-out home run that also scored LF Jos**é* *Marmolejos, who had reached base on a leadoff walk. In the bottom of the frame, Express **1B Curtis Terry singled then scored on a Wendzel double to make it a 2-1 game.

Round Rock jumped ahead 3-2 in the third when C Jack Kruger hit a leadoff single then moved to second as DH Josh Jung knocked a single with two outs. Leyba sent both runners home thanks to a double to left field.

The lead held only briefly as Tacoma responded with six runs in the top of the fourth frame. After a Marmolejos walk and Jos**é Godoy* single put runners on the corners with two out, Thomas tallied two more RBI with a single then found third on an Express error. A double from *2B Alen Hanson** scored Thomas for a 5-3 lead.

The inning continued as CF Luis Liberato worked a walk to join Hanson on base. In the next at-bat, SS Donovan Walton knocked a single that plated Hanson prior to a Jantzen Witte double that sent both Liberato and Walton in for the 8-3 advantage.

Round Rock started chipping away at the lead, scoring one run in both the fourth and fifth innings. Wendzel blasted his first career Triple-A home run to lead off the fourth before SS Ryan Dorow singled then ultimately crossed home thanks to a Jung single in the fifth that trimmed the lead to 8-5.

Witte went yard in the seventh to push the Rainiers’ lead to 9-5 then the Express scored three in the bottom of the frame to make it a one-run game. Kruger and Dorow found spots on base on a double and walk, respectively, before Leyba launched a dinger into right field to clear the bases.

In the eighth frame, RF Elier Hernandez recorded a single before crossing home on a triple from Kruger to tie the contest between Round Rock and Tacoma at nine apiece.

The ninth inning saw each side retired in order, which sent the contest into extra innings, marking the fifth time this season that Round Rock has played free baseball.

With Farmer on the bump for the Express, 3B Kevin Padlo started the 10th inning at second for the Rainiers. After Marmolejos struck out swinging, C Brian O’Keefe hit a flyout that moved Padlo 90 feet closer to home. The third baseman then scored on a Godoy single. With two outs, Thomas worked a walk to join Godoy on base before RHP Cole Uvila entered the game for Round Rock.

The visitors continued adding to their total as Godoy came home thanks to a single from Hanson. Liberato’s second hit of the night then sent Thomas in before Walton knocked a single to score Hanson for a 13-9 lead.

Terry started the bottom of the frame on second base for Round Rock as LHP Daniel Zamora came on for Tacoma in relief. Terry raced home from second when Hernandez sent a two-out double to left field. A Kruger groundout ended comeback hopes for the Express as the Rainiers claimed the 13-10 win.

Round Rock welcomes Tacoma back to Dell Diamond on Sunday evening. Express RHP David Kubiak (2-0, 3.43) is scheduled to make the start up against Rainiers RHP Logan Verrett (10-4, 5.09). First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m.

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!