ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Round Rock Express (40-49) bid adieu to a five-game losing streak with a wild 10-9 walkoff win over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (55-33) on Saturday night at Dell Diamond. SS Doug Bernier tallied the game-winning RBI with a sacrifice fly to deep center field
ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Round Rock Express (40-49) bid adieu to a five-game losing streak with a wild 10-9 walkoff win over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (55-33) on Saturday night at Dell Diamond. SS Doug Bernier tallied the game-winning RBI with a sacrifice fly to deep center field that scored 1B Ronald Guzmán from third base.
E-Train LHP Dario Álvarez (1-0, 0.00) picked up the win after tossing 1.1 perfect innings of relief. Sky Sox reliever RHP Tim Dillard (2-2, 5.59) suffered the loss after giving up the game-winning run on a hit and two intentional walks in the bottom of the ninth inning. Round Rock starter RHP Tanner Scheppers surrendered five runs, only four of which were earned, on seven hits in 3.1 innings of work in the no-decision.
For the second night in a row, the Sky Sox scored in the first inning. This time it was LF Kyle Wren and 2B Nate Orf teaming up for back-to-back singles to open the contest. Two hitters later, 1B Garrett Cooper sent a grounder to Bernier, who bobbled the ball for an error that allowed Wren to score from third. CF Brett Phillips then doubled to score Orf, increasing the Colorado Springs lead to 2-0.
Round Rock fought right back in the second inning. Guzman and LF Travis Snider recorded consecutive singles before RF Preston Beck sent a two-run double down the right field line to tie the game.
However, the Sky Sox plated three runs in the third to regain the lead. Orf, 3B Ivan De Jesus and Cooper recorded three straight singles, the third of which broke the deadlock. C Jett Bandy recorded a one-out single of his own to score another run. A Kirk Nieuwenhuis fielder's choice sent Cooper flying home with Colorado Springs' fifth run of the evening.
With LHP Ryne Slack on in relief in the sixth, SS Nick Noonan singled before stealing second base. Following an Orf walk, De Jesus singled to load the bases. Cooper then recorded an RBI single before 3B Will Middlebrooks threw an errant relay throw to Bernier at shortstop, allowing Orf to also race home on the play.
The Express snatched the lead right back in a wild and wooly bottom of the sixth inning. With RHP Wily Peralta on in relief, Middlebrooks kickstarted the frame with a double before Guzman worked a walk. In the next at-bat, Snider singled to left field but the ball skipped under Wren's glove and rolled all the way to the wall. Middlebrooks and Guzman both scored on the play while Snider advanced to third.
The bizarre inning continued as Cooper threw the ball away on a routine grounder to first off Beck's bat, leaving time for Snider to score from third. In the very next plate appearance, Peralta skipped a wild pitch past Bandy. The catcher couldn't locate the ball, resulting in Beck racing home from second base. Bernier worked a walk before CF Drew Stubbs doubled to put a pair of runners in scoring position. DH Jared Hoying then gave Round Rock their first lead in over 50 innings of play with an RBI single.
However, the resilient Sky Sox jumped back ahead in the eighth. Cooper manufactured a leadoff walk off LHP Joely Rodríguez . Phillips then stepped to the plate and sent a two-run homer just over the fence in left field, giving Colorado Springs the lead at 9-8.
Stubbs evened the game once again in the eighth with a screaming solo home run that crashed into the batter's eye in center field. Guzman opened the ninth inning with a double before Dillard elected to intentionally walk Snider. Following a Jason Martinson sacrifice bunt, Dillard intentionally walked Beck to face Bernier. The shortstop delivered with a game-winning sacrifice fly to deep center field.
Round Rock and Colorado Springs say goodbye to the first half of the season in Sunday night's series finale. Express RHP Nick Martínez (1-0, 5.00) is set to take the mound against Sky Sox RHP Hiram Burgos (2-4, 7.20). First pitch at Dell Diamond is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
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