Round Rock Takes Series with 7-4 Win against Nashville
August 22, 2018 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Round Rock Express (59-69) captured their fourth consecutive win and secured a series victory on Wednesday night after topping the Nashville Sounds (67-61) by a 7-4 score at Dell Diamond.
Express starter RHP Adrian Sampson (6-4, 3.85), permitted three runs, none of them earned, in the first inning of play, but settled down over the next four frames to earn the win. In total, Sampson finished with 5.0 innings pitched and three hits allowed with a strikeout, throwing 42 of his 65 pitches for strikes. Tonight's losing pitcher, Sounds RHP Raul Alcantara (5-5, 5.26) was roughed up for four earned runs on seven hits and a walk in 2.0 frames of work.
Both offenses rebounded quickly from last night's 2-0 pitcher's duel, putting up seven combined runs in the first inning. After Sampson retired the first two batters of the game, Nashville CF Dustin Fowler ignited a three-run rally when he reached base on an error by Round Rock C Juan Centeno. Fowler proceeded to swipe second before coming home on a double by DH Anthony Garcia. The next batter, 2B Franklin Barreto, connected on a two-run homer that crashed into the Express bullpen, gifting Nashville an early 3-0 edge.
However, the E-Train came up with a response in the bottom half of the frame as they strung together five straight hits to pull ahead 4-3. RF Christian Lopes, LF Willie Calhoun and DH Hanser Alberto loaded the bases on three consecutive singles to set up Tommy Joseph's two-run double into the left-center gap. 3B Andy Ibanez capped off the surge with a two RBI single up the middle, placing Round Rock in the lead before an out was made.
In the sixth, Calhoun stepped to the plate after 2B Nick Noonan was hit by a pitch and blasted a two-run shot to right field, extending the Express lead to 6-4. The round-tripper was Calhoun's ninth at the Triple-A level this season, and his first since rejoining the E-Train on August 16th following a stint in the big leagues.
Nashville chipped away for a run in the seventh on a B.J. Boyd RBI single off Round Rock RHP Tayler Scott, but the visitors were ultimately held at bay by the Express bullpen. Round Rock would add an insurance run to make it 7-4 in the eighth when SS Cliff Pennington doubled and later scored on a line drive single to left off the bat of CF Nick Torres.
Express reliever RHP Reed Garrett completed a five-out save in the eighth and ninth to solidify the win. The right-hander allowed one hit and struck out one en route to tallying his fourth save of the year.
The E-Train will shoot for a series sweep of the Sounds in the series finale on Thursday night at Dell Diamond. Round Rock LHP Yohander Mendez (0-6, 5.26) is slated to face Nashville LHP Eric Jokisch (4-10, 4.37) on the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT.
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