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PCL1 Round Rock Express

New Orleans Wins 14-Inning Marathon 8-6

June 16, 2016 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


ROUND ROCK, Texas - The New Orleans Zephyrs (32-32) scored two runs in the top of the 14th inning to claim an 8-6 win over the Round Rock Express (35-29) Wednesday night in a contest that took four hours and 17 minutes to complete.

LHP Cody Ege (4-2, 3.97) collected the win despite allowing a run on two hits and two walks over the course of three extra innings of relief. For the Express LHP Juan Grullon (0-1, 6.00) suffered the loss in his Triple-A debut. The newly-promoted lefty allowed three runs, only two of which were earned, on six hits and three walks over three innings of relief.

Just like last night, New Orleans opened the scoring in the second inning. 3B Matt Juengel squared up on Express starter RHP Chi Chi Gonzalez' second pitch of the frame, sending the offering crashing into the berm in left field for a solo home run. LF Destin Hood followed up with a walk before stealing second then advancing to third on a throwing error by E-Train C Brett Nicholas. Former Round Rock DH Tomas Telis grounded out in the next at-bat to send his left fielder flying home, doubling his team's lead.

1B Xavier Scruggs added to the lead with one swing of the bat in the third inning. After 2B Elliot Soto grounded into a double play that took out SS Robert Andino at second base, Scruggs stepped to the plate and launched a towering home run that landed not far from Juengel's earlier blast, giving the Zephyrs a 3-0 advantage. The longball marked the second allowed by Gonzalez in as many innings after the righty surrendered just one home run in his first 67.1 frames to begin the 2016 season.

In the third inning, LF James Jones cut into the deficit with his third home run of the year. 3B Drew Robinson opened the frame with a walk but was eliminated on a fielder's choice out that allowed 2B Doug Bernier to reach first base safely. Following the play, Jones dropped a 1-2 pitch into the New Orleans bullpen for a two-run shot that reset the score at 3-2.

The Zephyrs added an insurance run in the seventh inning after an uncharacteristic defensive gaffe by the Express. RF Isaac Galloway collected a seemingly harmless two-out single. However, in the next at-bat, C Carlos Corporan lined a single into deep left-center field. CF Delino DeShields tossed a relay to SS Hanser Alberto while Galloway sprinted to third and Corporan rounded first. A brief moment of hesitation on the part of Alberto allowed Galloway to come scampering home while Corporan was forced back to first base.

Round Rock took the lead in the bottom of the frame thanks to late clutch hitting. Nicholas led off the inning by working a walk on an eight-pitch plate appearance. A wild pitch allowed the catcher to move to second before 1B Joey Gallo followed up with a walk of his own. In his first game back with the Express, RF Jared Hoying collected Round Rock's second base hit of the night, a line drive single to right field that loaded the bases.

Arguably the team's hottest hitter as of late, DH Trever Adams, then stepped up and grounded into a force out that resulted in Nicholas being gunned down at home. After LHP Eric Jokisch relieved starter RHP Paul Clemens, Robinson lined a triple into the gap in right-center field. All three baserunners came home as the baseball rolled into the deepest part of the outfield. The three-run triple gave the Express their first lead of the night at 5-4.

Round Rock's advantage proved to be a fleeting moment in time as Scruggs demolished a solo shot in the top of the eighth inning, evening the contest at five runs apiece. Despite a flurry of chances for both teams in the next four innings, the game remained tied until the 13th. New Orleans grabbed a brief lead in the frame as Telis and Galloway recorded back-to-back singles to open the frame. Two batters later, CF Kenny Wilson singled home Telis to break the 5-5 stalemate.

A strange sequence of events knotted the game at six in the bottom of the frame. DeShields kicked things off by drawing a leadoff walk before Alberto singled on a line drive to left field. A sacrifice bunt courtesy of Nicholas moved both runners 90 feet closer to home. Zephyrs reliever Ege then elected to intentionally walk Gallo to load the bases for Hoying. The tactic worked, at least temporarily, as Hoying struck out for the second out of the inning. However, in the very next plate appearance, Ege lost control of a 1-1 pitch, plunking Adams in the foot to drive in a run. Robinson then appeared to win the game with a line drive right up the middle, but Ege was able to miraculously spear the ball out of midair to record the out.

The Zephyrs found more luck in the top of the 14th inning, scoring two runs off Grullon to grab an 8-6 advantage. Soto and Scruggs worked back-to-back walks to open the frame. Juengel then lined a shot to Alberto at shortstop, who misplayed the ball, allowing it to roll into center field while Soto sprinted home to break the draw once again. Hood then singled to load the bases. A sacrifice fly from Telis allowed Scruggs enough time to tag and score from third, bumping the advantage to 8-6.

Round Rock attempted one last-ditch rally in the bottom of the frame as Jones collected a one-out single. However, DeShields then lined out to Andino at shortstop, who fired the ball to Scruggs at first to double off Jones and end the game for good.

The two Southern Division rivals will close out their four-game series Thursday night. LHP Michael Roth (5-2, 3.22) is scheduled to start for the E-Train while RHP Dylan Axelrod (4-2, 3.83) is set to get the nod for the Zephyrs. First pitch at Dell Diamond is set for 7:05 p.m.

Single game tickets are available along with season ticket packages and group discounts. For more information on the Express, visit www.RoundRockExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter!

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