Pena Leads Express to 5-2 Win over Storm Chasers
July 22, 2018 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
PAPILLION, Nebraska - The Round Rock Express (48-53) finish with a .500 record over an eight-game road trip after topping the Omaha Storm Chasers (44-56) 5-2 on Sunday afternoon at Werner Park.
Round Rock starter RHP Richelson Pena (3-1, 5.28) dazzled over 7.0 dominant innings on the hill, holding Omaha's bats to just one run on five hits while striking out seven and walking none. On the losing side, Storm Chasers starter RHP Zach Lovvorn (1-4, 9.25) surrendered five runs on five hits while walking two.
The E-Train plated the first run of the afternoon in the top of the second to take a 1-0 lead. 2B Christian Lopes worked a one-out walk before DH Hanser Alberto ripped a sinking line drive into right field. The ball was misplayed by Omaha RF Elier Hernandez, allowing Lopes to score all the way from first with ease on what was officially ruled a double for Alberto.
Round Rock's advantage would evaporate in the bottom of the third when the Storm Chasers leveled the score at 1-1. After tossing two hitless frames in the first and second, Pena allowed his first and only earned run of the day when Omaha LF Donnie Dewees connected on a solo shot to right-center.
After Dewees' homer, Pena dialed in to hold the Storm Chasers scoreless on two hits while punching out four over the next 4.0 innings.
In the top of the sixth, the Express blew the game open by scoring four runs to take the lead back at 5-1. CF Drew Robinson doubled to open the side before SS Cliff Pennington worked a walk. After 3B Andy Ibanez was hit by a pitch load the bases, C Juan Centeno was struck by another errant offering from Lovvorn to put Round Rock ahead 2-1. The next two batters, Lopes and Alberto, teamed up for an RBI double and a two-run single to extend the gap even further.
After spending the first seven years of his professional career in the outfield, including a 76-game stint with Round Rock in 2016, Express reliever LHP James Jones made his first Triple-A appearance as pitcher in the eighth, giving up a solo home run to Omaha DH Frank Schwindel that cut the E-Train lead to 5-2. On the day, Jones would allow just the one run on two his and two walks while retiring a pair of batters on a double play before handing the game over to RHP Ricky Rodriguez.
Rodriguez would bring the game home by hurling 1.1 hitless innings with a strikeout in the eighth and ninth en route to locking down his third save of the year.
The Express return to Dell Diamond on Tuesday night for the first round of a seven-game homestand as they take on the Tacoma Rainiers (51-49). Round Rock LHP Michael Roth (4-3, 4.61) is slated to get the start on the bump in the first act of the three-game series against Tacoma RHP Christian Bergman (6-7, 4.95). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. CDT.
For more information on the Express, visit RoundRockExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255.
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