Round Rock Express Top Iowa 6-3
Published on June 19, 2012 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
ROUND ROCK, Texas - Mike Bianucci homered twice and plated four runs in leading the Round Rock Express past the Iowa Cubs 6-3 in Tuesday night's Pacific Coast League series opener at The Dell Diamond. The Express (32-30) have five wins in their last seven games and improved to 5-4 this season against the Cubs (30-42).
Bianuci snapped a 2-2 tie with a leadoff homer in the fourth. Greg Miclat followed with a bunt single and scored on Dusty Brown's subsequent double. Bianucci added a two-run homer in the fifth.
Iowa got a run back on Josh Vitters' sixth-inning leadoff homer but could get no closer. The Cubs got singles from Alfredo Amezaga and Dave Sappelt to open the ninth and eventually loaded the bases with one out. Neal Cotts induced an infield fly before Brett Jackson lined out to a leaping Matt Kata at second base.
That preserved a win for Express starter Greg Reynolds (6-5), who held the Cubs to three runs on nine hits and a walk with four strikeouts over 6.0 innings. Ben Snyder logged two-thirds of an inning, and Mark Hamburger worked an inning and a third, giving way to Cotts after the consecutive ninth-inning singles. Cotts, who pitched for Iowa from 2007 to 2009, recorded his first save with the Express.
Iowa starter Rodrigo Loepz (1-2) was tagged with the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits and four walks over five innings with two strikeouts. Esmalin Caridad worked around a two-out error in the seventh for two scoreless innings, and Rafael Dolis worked around a leadoff Bianucci single in a scoreless eighth.
Ty Wright's second-inning RBI double provided the game's first run. Round Rock responded with two runs on two hits, two walks, two stolen bases and two Iowa errors in the bottom of the second. Bianucci tied the game with a sacrifice fly, and Miclat followed with an RBI single. Iowa tied the game in the fourth when Wright singled with two outs, stole second and scored on Blake Lalli's single.
Bianucci and Miclat (2-for-2) combined for five of Round Rock's eight hits and the only multiple-hit outings. Yangervis Solarte was 1-for-3 with a walk and scored twice. The first four batters in the Express lineup were 0-for-13 with three walks, including Julio Borbon (0-for-3, walk) who was held hitless for only the fourth time in his last 37 games.
Lalli and Amezaga each had three hits, spearheading a 13-hit attack for the Cubs. Sappelt and Wright both had two-hit games. Iowa was 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners.
Round Rock and Iowa continue their four-game series Wednesday with a 7:05 p.m. CDT first pitch at The Dell Diamond. Right-hander Neil Ramirez (6-7, 8.02 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Express, while left-hander and former Texas A&M standout Brooks Raley (2-2, 5.93 ERA) is slated to start for the Cubs.
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