ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Round Rock Express (41-49) powered their way to an 8-4 win over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (55-34) on Sunday night at Dell Diamond. E-Train RF Preston Beck blasted a three-run homer in the sixth inning to break a 4-4 tie.Round Rock RHP Clayton Blackburn
ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Round Rock Express (41-49) powered their way to an 8-4 win over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (55-34) on Sunday night at Dell Diamond. E-Train RF Preston Beck blasted a three-run homer in the sixth inning to break a 4-4 tie.
Round Rock RHP Clayton Blackburn (3-1, 5.26) earned the win after coming out of the bullpen to toss four shutout innings of relief. He surrendered just two hits while striking out two. Sky Sox RHP Forrest Snow (2-2, 4.43) suffered the loss after giving up three runs on three hits in 2.1 innings of relief. E-Train starter RHP Nick Martínez allowed all four Sky Sox runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings.
After a pair of scoreless frames, the Express went to town in the third inning. LF Drew Stubbs and CF Jared Hoying teamed up for back-to-back one-out home runs to give Round Rock a 2-0 lead. After 3B Brett Nicholas singled, DH Ryan Rua sent a screaming two-run homer that doubled the E-Train lead to 4-0.
However, Sky Sox 2B Garrett Cooper collected a one-out double in the fourth before CF Brett Phillips launched a two-run homer to deep right field, narrowing the gap to 4-2.
Colorado Springs added two more in the fifth to even the game at 4-4. C René García opened the inning with a single before a Tyler Heineman double put two runners in scoring position. Two hitters later, 1B Ivan De Jesus singled home a pair of runs to tie the game.
In the sixth, 1B Ronald Guzmán and C A.J. Jimenez teamed up for consecutive singles before Beck launched a three-run shot onto the berm in right field. Beck's first career home run at Dell Diamond gave the Express a 7-4 advantage. Round Rock tacked on an insurance run in the eighth as Jimenez singled off former E-Train reliever RHP Tom Wilhelmsen before Beck worked a walk. SS Doug Bernier followed up with an RBI single that padded the lead to 8-4.
The Express now take a three-day hiatus for the Triple-A All-Star Break. Following the festivities, Round Rock opens a four-game set with the first-place Memphis Redbirds. Neither team's starting pitcher for Thursday's series opener has been announced. First pitch at AutoZone Park is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Single game tickets, season memberships, Flex Plans and Kids Club packages are on sale now. For more information on the Express, visit or call (512) 255-2255. Keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter!
