PCL1 Round Rock Express

Express Throttle Cubs, Dominate in Series Finale 11-5

Published on July 3, 2015 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


DES MOINES, IA - The Round Rock Express (47-33) took the series finale in Iowa Friday night by pummeling the Iowa Cubs (42-38), 11-5. The Express and Cubs were tied entering the seventh, but Round Rock erupted for seven combined runs in the seventh and eighth to earn its 47th victory of the season.

Round Rock 3B Joey Gallo started the fireworks a day early with his first-career Triple-A home run off of Iowa starter Felipe Paulino in the top of the first. The one-out solo shot also marked Gallo's first Triple-A hit, giving Round Rock an early 1-0 lead. DH Michael Choice continued the momentum with a single and advanced all the way to third after stealing second and moving ahead one base on Iowa throwing error. 2B Tommy Field took a 2-0 lead in the count, but Paulino rifled in three straight strikes to end the inning.

Express starter Stolmy Pimentel was sharp through the opening two innings, but stumbled in the bottom of the third as Iowa SS Jonathan Mota sent a lead-off single into left field. Pimentel picked up the first out with a strikeout, but Mota snagged second to get into scoring position. A fly out kept Mota still with C Kyle Schwarber coming to the plate and two down. Pimentel and Schwarber went to war for 10 pitches with Schwarber coming away the victor. The Iowa catcher lofted a single to left field that brought in Mota to even the score. Pimentel recuperated with a strikeout to send the game into the fourth.

Iowa CF Rubi Silva lined a single to center and advanced to second on a throwing error from ML rehabber Delino DeShields to start the fifth, igniting an Iowa charge. Silva went to third on a Pimentel wild pitch and made his way home on another wild pitch to put the I-Cubs on top 2-1. Pimentel issued a walk and then recorded the first out on a sacrifice bunt that shuffled Mota to second. Another walk put runners on first and second with Schwarber making his way to the batter's box. Schwarber delivered with his fifth double of the season, scoring Mota and Soler to extend the Iowa lead to 4-1. Pimentel received a mound visit and went on to close the fifth with a ground out and strikeout.

The E-Train stormed back in the top of the sixth with three consecutive singles to start the inning. LF Jared Hoying supplied the third single, scoring Choice and sent himself to second and Field to third on Iowa's second error of the night. C Tomas Telis recorded the first out of the inning with a ground out, but scored Field in the process to inch Round Rock closer 4-3. The run signaled the end of Paulino's (1-4, 5.32) night as he went 5.1 innings with six hits, four runs (four earned), three walks and four Ks. 1B Brett Nicholas welcomed Iowa RHP Yoervis Medina to the game with a double that tied the contest, brining Hoying across the plate to make the score 4-4.

RHP Ross Wolf entered in the bottom of the sixth to replace Pimentel (2-2, 6.50) who went 5.0 innings pitched with six hits, four runs (four earned), three walks and tossed a season-high eight strikeouts. Wolf gave up a lead-off single, but took care of three straight I-Cubs to close the sixth.

RF Ryan Strausborger kicked off the seventh with his 13th double of the 2015 campaign, summoning Gallo. After a Gallo strikeout, Strausborger advanced to third on a passed ball with Choice at the plate. Choice plugged a single to score Strausborger and break the tie, sending the E-Train in front 5-4. Medina then hit Field with a pitch, followed by giving up a double to Hoying that scored Choice and moved Field to third. An intentional walk to Telis loaded the bases with Nicholas due up. Nicholas continued his habit of welcoming new Iowa pitchers with a two-RBI single off RHP Blake Cooper that sent the score to 8-4. DeShields joined the party with a two-out single that brought in Telis to cap off the five-run seventh and give Round Rock a 9-4 advantage.

Former Express southpaw and Iowa bullpen reliever Joe Ortiz took the reins from Cooper in the eighth, looking to stop the bleeding. Consecutive ground outs gave the lefty some comfort, but Field salvaged the inning with his 14th double of the year. Hoying then supplied his third RBI of the night to make it a 10-4 affair. Telis knocked a double to center on the first pitch he saw from Ortiz to add run number 11 to the Express total. Ortiz hit Nicholas with a pitch and walked SS Beamer Weems before ending the eighth with a strikeout.

Iowa did not go quietly as LF John Andreoli hit a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth. Silva took Wolf to left field for a RBI double, providing Iowa with its fifth run of the night. Wolf then won a seven-pitch battle to flee the inning via strikeout.

Express RHP Francisco Mendoza entered for Wolf in the ninth and slammed the door on the series with a ground out and a fly out.

The Express finally head back to Dell Diamond to kick off Red, White & Blue Weekend with a four-game series against the Nashville Sounds. Round Rock sends out RHP Alec Asher (2-4, 4.28) to square off with Nashville RHP Zach Neal (6-3, 3.91). First pitch is set for tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m.

For tickets and more information on the Express, visit www.RoundRockExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Follow the Express on Facebook and Twitter!

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 3, 2015


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