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New Orleans Baby Cakes

Express Sweep Doubleheader from Zephyrs

May 31, 2013 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
New Orleans Baby Cakes News Release


Yangervis Solarte hit a sixth-inning home run for the lone run in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader, then blasted a three-run homer in the nightcap to provide the winning margin as the Round Rock Express swept a pair of games from the New Orleans Zephyrs, 1-0 and 6-5.

Solarte had just four home runs through his first 50 games this season, but his two-out shot in the sixth against Zephyrs reliever James Leverton broke a scoreless tie and made a winner of Ryan Feierbend (2-1), who kept the Z's hitless until a one-out single by Gil Velazquez in the bottom of the sixth.

Velazquez was then caught stealing in a pickoff attempt by Feierbend, who finished with five strikeouts and two walks in six scoreless frames before turning the game over to the Express bullpen.

Cory Burns immediately ran into trouble, and the Zephyrs appeared primed to tie the game or win it in the bottom of the seventh when Kevin Kouzmanoff and Jake Smolinski singled, and Matt Downs reached on a perfect bunt up the third base line to load the bases with no outs.

But Burns struck out Koyie Hill, and got Ben Lasater to bounce into a game-ending double play to preserve his 11th save of the year.

Jared Rogers, making his first career Triple-A start, scattered five hits across five scoreless innings and struck out five in a no-decision.

In the second game, Round Rock jumped on top quickly on an RBI souble by Chris McGuiness in the top of the first, but the Zephyrs responded in the bottom half on a two-run double by Kouzmanoff .

The lead was short-lived as the Express scored five times in the third off Z's starter Matt Neil. McGuiness laced a two-run single to left-center field to put Round Rock in front, and after a walk to Aaron Cunningham, Solarte hit a laser over the right-field fence for his second home run of the night, giving the Express a 6-2 advantage.

New Orleans chipped away in the fourth inning, stringing together three runs on four hits. Kyle Skipworth ripped an RBI double into the alley in right-center field, and Chris Gutierrez followed with a run-scoring single through the hole at shortstop. Kevin Mattison pulled the Zephyrs to within a run with a sacrifice fly.

The Zephyrs got the first two batters on base in the fifth inning on back-to-back singles by Bryan Petersen and Kouzmanoff, and Downs advanced the runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, but Ben Lasater flied out to shallow center field and Paul Gran was caught looking for the third time in the game to end the threat.

Nate Robertson worked 1 1/3 innings and Evan Meek came on to record the final two outs to pick up his fourth save. Lisalverto Bonilla (4-3) was credited with the win for a 1/2 scoreless innings in relief of starter Jake Brigham, who was charged with five runs and seven hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Neil (1-1) took the loss by allowing six runs on four hits in three innings. The Zephyrs bullpen did not allow a hit over the final four frames.

The Zephyrs and Express conclude the four-game series on Friday at 7 p.m.

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