PCL1 Round Rock Express

Round Rock Express Edged at Nashville 7-6

August 1, 2010 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release


NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Norris Hopper's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth scored Eric Almonte to give the Nashville Sounds a 7-6 victory Sunday night over the Round Rock Express at Herschel Greer Stadium. The Express (44-65) suffered their 18th loss in the opponents' final at bat and their 26th one-run loss. The Sounds (57-51) tied the series one game apiece, but the Express still lead the season series 8-6.

Round Rock overcame a five-run deficit over the game's final three innings, scoring a run in the seventh, three in the eighth and two in the ninth. Collin DeLome's second homer of the night opened the top of the ninth and knotted the game at 5-5. German Duran followed with a single and later stole home to give the Express a 6-5 lead.

However, Nashville had the last laugh, plating two runs on four hits in the bottom of the inning. Eric Farris and Mat Gamel opened the inning with consecutive singles, putting runners on the corners. Farris scored on Eric Almonte's RBI fielder's choice, and Brendan Katin followed with a single to again put runners on the corners. Luis Cruz fouled out for the inning's second retirement, but Hopper squeezed an 0-1 Chris Sampson offering through the right side for the game-winner.

Sampson (0-1) took the loss; he entered the game in the ninth. Starter And Van Hekken allowed five runs, four earned, on eight hits and two walks with two strikeouts over 5.1 innings. Mark Melancon, in his first game since being acquired from the Yankees organization in the Lance Berkman trade, worked 1.2 scoreless innings on two hits. Dan Meszaros scattered a hit and a walk for a scoreless eighth.

Chris Smith (3-3) suffered his fourth blown save in the top of the ninth but picked up the win thanks to the Sounds rally in the bottom of the inning. Smith allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in his lone inning of work. Starter Marty McLeary worked 7.0 innings and surrendered four runs on nine hits and no walks with six strikeouts. Tim Dillard worked around two hits in a scoreless eighth.

McLeary snapped a scoreless tie in the fifth with a solo homer, his first of the season. The Sounds opened the game up with a four-hit, four-run sixth. Farris and Gamel had back-to-back doubles to open the inning and produce the first run. Cruz and Hopper added RBI singles, and the fourth run scored a two-out Express error.

DeLome started the comeback, drilling a two-out solo homer in the seventh. The Express pulled within a run in the eighth with three runs on five hits. Jack Shuck delivered a two-run triple and scored on Edwin Maysonet's RBI single.

It was DeLome's third two-homer game of the season. Maysonet finished 3-for-5, while Shuck was 2-for-5 with a run scored. Chris Shelton also had two hits and has hit safely in each of his five games since coming off the disabled list.

Gamel and Katin each had three hits, while Farris, Cruz and Hopper had two hits apiece.

Round Rock and Nashville continue the three-game series Monday with a 7:05 p.m. CDT first pitch at Herschel Greer Stadium. Right-hander Shane Loux (2-10, 7.03 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Express, while southpaw Sam Narros (6-4, 3.90 ERA) is slated to go for the Sounds.

The Round Rock Express, owned and operated by Ryan Sanders Baseball, LP, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros and a member of the Pacific Coast League.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from August 1, 2010


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