Round Rock Drops 8-3 Contest to Tacoma on Sunday Night

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (63-60) dropped its second straight game to the Tacoma Rainiers (75-49) by a final score of 8-5 on Sunday night at Dell Diamond. The two are now tied at two wins apiece in the five-game series and have two wins to start the Triple-A Final Stretch.

Round Rock RHP David Kubiak (2-1, 4.50) suffered the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits and five strikeouts during his 5.0-inning start. Tacoma RHP Logan Verrett (11-4, 4.92) earned the win with a start that saw just two runs on six hits and one walk over 7.0 frames.

The Rainiers jumped on the board early as 2B Alen Hanson hit a leadoff double to start the contest. 3B Jantzen Witte singled to score Hanson for the 1-0 lead.

The fourth and fifth innings both saw a two-run home run for Tacoma as RF Dillon Thomas sent his hit onto the center field shed to score C José Godoy in the fourth and 1B José Marmolejos’ dinger plated Witte in the fifth, increasing the visitors’ advantage to 5-0.

Round Rock scored their first of the game during the sixth inning. With two outs recorded, 2B Domingo Leyba hit a single and was followed by a John Hicks double. DH Yohel Pozo sent both runners across home plate with a double to left field, trimming the gap to 5-2.

Two more runs came in for Tacoma during the eighth to make it a 7-2 contest when Thomas worked a one-out walk before scoring thanks to a double from CF Marcus Wilson, who then scored on an Eric Filia single in the next at-bat.

Both teams traded a run in the ninth as Witte, Marmolejos and Godoy loaded the bases for the Rainiers in the top of the frame. Witte scored as Thomas grounded into a force out for the team’s eighth run of the night. Express 1B Sam Huff hit his first career Triple-A home run in the bottom of the inning for the 8-3 final.

Round Rock and Tacoma close out their five-game series on Monday night at Dell Diamond. Express RHP Tyson Miller (4-3, 3.00) is set to make the start against Rainiers LHP Ray Kerr (0-0, 5.00). First pitch is slated for 7:05 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!