Express Opens Stand With 7-5 Win Over Cats

ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Round Rock Express (35-37) pounded out a Pacific Coast League season-high nine doubles Tuesday to hand the Sacramento River Cats (41-31) a 7-5 defeat at Dell Diamond.

The Express is now 8-1 in their first nine games of the season against the PCL Pacific Conference after kicking off their eight-game homestand in winning fashion.

River Cats 2B Tyler Ladendorf drove home the first run of the game on an RBI groundout in the first to give his club a 1-0 lead.

Round Rock squared the game at one in the second as SS Josh Wilson and 1B Brett Nicholas delivered back-to-back two-out doubles.

Sacramento regained control in the third on three-run home run by RF Shane Peterson. With two on and one out, Peterson took Express starter Daniel McCutchen deep for his fifth homer of the season.

After a scoreless fourth, the E-Train went for three runs in the fifth to tie the game at 5-5. 3B Adam Rosales got things going with a one-out single and moved to third on Bryan Petersen double. C J.P. Arencibia followed with a high fly ball that eluded River Cat left fielder Colin Walsh in the twilight sky, falling in safely for a two-run double. Arencibia immediately scored from second as CF Jared Hoying recorded Round Rock's third consecutive double on a dying quail to right.

The Express scored twice in the sixth to take their first lead of the game. Nicholas and LF Ryan Strausborger led off the inning with a pair of singles. 2B Kensuke Tanaka followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Nicholas ahead of a RBI double by Rosales that brought Strausborger in to make it 6-4 Round Rock.

Round Rock's McCutchen (2-5, 7.48 ERA) exited with the lead prior to the seventh and his bullpen made it hold up, giving the right-hander his second win of the year. McCutchen allowed four runs on eight hits, while striking out two and walking one.

Solo home runs were traded in the seventh to bring the final score to 7-5. River Cats SS Andy Parrino, who began the season with the Express, collected his fourth long ball of the season in the top of the inning, while Hoying led off the home half with a blast off the batter's eye in center. Hoying now has 13 bombs this year.

Two outs after Hoying's homer, Nicholas ripped an inconsequential double into the left-center field gap for his third hit on the night. What makes the two-base hit notable is the fact that it was Round Rock's ninth of the game, besting Fresno for the most doubles in a single game in the PCL this season.

For the second straight night, RHP Neftali Feliz closed out the game in the ninth. The save gives Feliz three on the season.

DH Carlos Pena finished 1-4 with a double in his Express debut after being signed by the Texas Rangers earlier Tuesday.

The Express and River Cats will continue their series Wednesday with game two at Dell Diamond. RHP Justin Germano (2-6, 4.14 ERA) is scheduled to toe the rubber for Round Rock against Sacramento's RHP Marcus Walden (2-2, 5.73 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. as Winning Wednesday, presented by Texas Lottery, returns.

Follow the game live on 104.9 FM The Horn or online at hornfm.com. For more information on the Express, visit www.RoundRockExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Keep up with the Express on Facebook and Twitter!