Last At-Bat Express Homer Sinks Sounds, 7-5
Published on July 2, 2009 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Nashville Sounds News Release
ROUND ROCK, Texas - Round Rock first baseman Mark Saccomanno belted a two-run, game-ending home run off Nashville reliever Wes Littleton in the bottom of the ninth inning to power the Express to a 7-5 victory over the Sounds on Thursday evening at The Dell Diamond in the second game of a three-game series.
The loss marked the fifth time that Nashville (45-36) has suffered a last at-bat loss this season.
Tommy Manzella opened the bottom of the ninth by drawing a walk from Littleton. Following a strikeout of Jason Smith, Saccomanno delivered his game-winning blast on a 1-1 offering from the right-hander, his ninth roundtripper of the season.
The Express grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first against left-hander Sam Narron, who made a spot start for the Sounds in place of scheduled starter Chase Wright, a gametime scratch. PCL veteran John Gall drove in both runs with a double to left.
After Nashville plated a run in the second on a Martin Maldonado groundout, Round Rock extended the lead to 4-1 in the third on RBI singles from Saccomanno and Chris Johnson.
Narron allowed four runs on 10 hits over 4 2/3 innings of work in his spot start for the Sounds, taking a no-decision.
The Sounds rallied to tie the contest at 4-4 in the middle innings with a single run in the fourth courtesy of a Joe Koshansky solo homer, his 15th blast of the year, and back-to-back RBI doubles from Jason Bourgeois and Alcides Escobar in the top of the fifth.
Nashville reliever John Axford walked the bases loaded in the sixth and the Express took advantage by grabbing a 5-4 lead when Lou Santangelo scored on a Gall groundout. The Sounds answered in the next half-inning, knotting the contest at fives in the top of the seventh on Hernan Iribarren's RBI single to right off Round Rock reliever Samuel Gervacio.
Ex-Sound Chad Paronto (2-1) was the beneficiary of Saccomanno's late heroics and picked up the win for Round Rock after working a scoreless top of the ninth. Littleton (0-4) took the loss for Nashville after surrendering the game-ending blast to conclude his 2 1/3 innings of action.
The teams wrap up the series with a 7:05 p.m. finale on Friday night. Sounds left-hander Manny Parra (0-2, 4.08) takes the hill for the Sounds at The Dell Diamond for the first time since twirling a perfect game against the Express on June 25, 2007. Round Rock will counter with southpaw Mark McLemore (2-3, 4.31).
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