Express Blanked in Series Opener with Sky Sox

E-Train Bats Silenced in 4-0 Defeat

By Andrew Felts

July 7, 2017

ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Colorado Springs Sky Sox (55-32) kicked off their three-game stay in Round Rock with a 4-0 shutout victory over the Round Rock Express (39-49) on Friday night at Dell Diamond. The loss gave the E-Train a five-game home losing streak, the team's longest since 2012.Express

ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Colorado Springs Sky Sox (55-32) kicked off their three-game stay in Round Rock with a 4-0 shutout victory over the Round Rock Express (39-49) on Friday night at Dell Diamond. The loss gave the E-Train a five-game home losing streak, the team's longest since 2012.
Express RHP David Ledbetter (2-1, 4.22) suffered his first loss of the season after giving up four runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings. He racked up four strikeouts while walking three. Sky Sox RHP Angel Ventura (4-1, 3.00) earned the win after blanking the Express on just three hits in 6.2 innings of work.
The Sky Sox grabbed an early lead in the top of the first inning. SS Mauricio Dubón led off the game with a single before CF Lewis Brinson followed up with a single of his own. Two hitters later, 1B Garrett Cooper blasted a three-run homer that crashed into the batter's eye in center field.
Ledbetter recovered to allow just two base hits over the next four innings. However, in the sixth, Cooper worked a leadoff walk prior to a Kirk Nieuwenhuis single. After 2B Nate Orf walked to load the bases, Ledbetter was replaced by LHP Wesley Wright . 3B Nick Noonan welcomed the lefty to the game with a deep sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Cooper to tag and score Colorado Springs' fourth and final run of the night.
Offensively, the Express managed just seven baserunners in the game with only two advancing past first base. In the fifth, 2B Jason Martinson recorded a one-out double and in the ninth, 3B Will Middlebrooks walked and moved to second base on defensive indifference.
The two teams meet again on Saturday evening. Express RHP Tanner Scheppers (0-1, 4.18) is set to make his first start of the season while the Sky Sox plan to send RHP Bubba Derby (2-0, 2.16) to the mound. First pitch at Dell Diamond is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
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