PCL1 Round Rock Express

Express Rally Past New Orleans 5-4 In 10 Innings

Published on July 18, 2011 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


ROUND ROCK, Texas - Brad Nelson's 10th-inning solo homer gave the Round Rock Express a 5-4 victory over the New Orleans Zephyrs in 10 Monday night's Pacific Coast League series opener at The Dell Diamond. The Express (57-39) matched last season's wins total with the victory, their fifth in six games since the All-Star break. The Zephyrs (46-50) have lost three straight. Round Rock leads the season series 6-3.

Round Rock scored all five of its runs on homers. Nelson and Matt Kata cut into a 3-0 New Orleans lead with consecutive solo shots in the fifth inning. The Zephyrs added a run in the sixth on Chris Aguilla's second solo homer of the night.

However, Nelson and Kata combined to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. Nelson drew a two-out walk, and Kata followed with a two-run homer to right field. It was Kata's fourth home run in his last four and his first multiple-homer game of the season.

Mark Hamburger worked around a two-out double in the top of the 10th. After New Orleans reliever Corey Matthews struck out the first batter in the bottom of the 10th, Nelson drilled a 1-2 pitch just over the wall in left field. It also was Nelson's first multiple-homer game.

Kata and Nelson became the eighth and ninth Express players this season to hit at least two homers in a game. It the 13th and 14th times this season a Round Rock player has posted a multiple-homer game. The Express, who lead the league with 130 homers, improved to 16-2 when hitting at least three home runs and 7-0 when hitting at least four.

Hamburger (4-4) earned the victory, closing the game with 1.1 scoreless innings. He allowed only the 10th-inning double and struck out two. Starter Brett Tomko allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks over 6.0 innings with six strikeouts. Michael Kirkman followed with 2.2 scoreless innings; he scattered two hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

Cory Madden (0-1), who entered the game at the start of the 10th inning, took the loss. Starter Adalberto Mendez worked 5.2 innings and exited in line for the win; he allowed three hits, two of which were home runs, and three walks with five strikeouts.

The Express managed only three hits other than the four homers posted by Kata and Nelson. Chris Davis had a ninth-inning double, Butler doubled in the sixth, and Taylor Teagarden followed Kata's eight-inning homer with a single but was stranded there.

New Orleans out-hit the Express 11-7. Aguila and Mike Cervenak both had three-hit games, while Joe Thurston was 2-for-5. The Zephrys built their 3-0 lead thanks to Cervenak's first-inning RBI single, Jorge Padilla's second-inning RBI double and Aguila's first home run - a leadoff shot in the fourth.

Round Rock and New Orleans continue their four-game series Tuesday with a 7:05 p.m. CDT first pitch at The Dell Diamond. Right-hander Eric Hurley (3-0, 3.98 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Express, while right-hander Elih Villanueva (4-7, 4.73 ERA) is listed as the starter for the Zephyrs.

NOTES: Round Rock won its 57th game last season Sept. 4 in the season's antepenultimate game. ... The Express improved to 20-9 in one-run games and 9-2 in extra-inning games (3-0 at home). ... Round Rock is 13-3 at The Dell Diamond since June 18.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 18, 2011


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