PCL1 Round Rock Express

Chihuahuas Top Express 5-3 in Series Opener

Published on August 4, 2018 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


EL PASO, Texas - In the first meeting between the two squads this season, the El Paso Chihuahuas (62-49) dealt the Round Rock Express (52-60) their third straight loss after claiming a 5-3 win in Saturday night's series opener at Southwest University park in El Paso. With tonight's result, Round Rock has now dropped seven of their last eight contests.

In his first regular season appearance at the Triple-A level, El Paso starter RHP Jacob Nix (1-0, 0.00) kept the E-Train off the board in each of his 6.0 innings on the mound to pick up the win. The 22-year-old hurler constricted Round Rock's bats to just five hits while walking none and striking out three.

Express starter LHP Michael Roth (6-7, 4.35) performed admirably in defeat as he labored through 5.0 frames without any run support. The southpaw permitted seven hits and issued three walks but was ultimately responsible for only three of the four runs El Paso recorded while he was in the game.

Nix and Roth started the evening at an even pace with each of them tossing three scoreless innings. However, the Chihuahuas bats were able to crack Roth's code in the bottom of the fourth to pull ahead 2-0. 1B Allen Craig and DH Raffy Lopez led off the side with back-to-back singles. The next batter, LF Shane Peterson, loaded the bases with none out when he reached on an error by Round Rock 2B Christian Lopes before 3B Diego Goris worked a walk to plate the first run of the game. El Paso would add another run on a sacrifice fly from CF Auston Bousfield.

The Chihuahuas would put together another two-run surge in the following inning, padding the gap to 4-0. Once again, El Paso started a rally on consecutive singles, this time courtesy of 2B Luis Urias and C Francisco Mejia. Urias would advance to third on a wild pitch before scoring when Craig grounded into a double play. Lopez doubled in the next at-bat to put himself in scoring position before Peterson drove in his fellow outfielder on a single.

Before Round Rock's bats came alive in the seventh, the Chihuahuas added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth to go up 5-0. After E-Train reliever LHP Brady Feigl retired the first two batters in order, El Paso RF Forrestt Allday singled to extend the frame. Allday then advanced to second when Urias was walked before coming home on a single by Mejia.

Round Rock got on the board for the first time in the top of the seventh, trimming the Chihuahuas lead down to 5-3. With El Paso reliever RHP Seth Simmons replacing Nix on the bump to start the frame, the E-Train got things started when 3B Andy Ibanez and DH Hanser Alberto reached base on a pair of singles. C Juan Centeno proceeded to work a walk to load the bases before RF Hunter Cole lined a single up the middle for an RBI, forcing the Chihuahuas to turn to the bullpen once more in the form of RHP Jonathan Aro.

Aro enticed the first batter he faced, former El Paso farm hand and current Round Rock 1B Nick Torres, to ground into a double play that brought Alberto home from third prior to LF Franklin Rollin driving in another run when he reached base on an error.

Following a scoreless eighth, the Express would threaten to tie or take the lead in the top of the ninth. Centeno and Cole led off the inning with back-to-back base hits to put the tying run on base. However, Chihuahuas reliever RHP Rowan Wick would retire the next three batters to finish the ballgame.

The series rolls on tomorrow as the two teams meet up once again on Sunday night at Southwest University Park in El Paso. Round Rock RHP Adrian Sampson (5-4, 4.56) is slated to start against El Paso RHP Kyle Lloyd (3-1, 7.20). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. CDT.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 4, 2018


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