Round Rock Topples 'Topes, 8-6

The Albuquerque Isotopes (70-72) were unable to muster a comeback on Saturday night, as a four-run seventh inning lifted the Round Rock Express (85-57) to an 8-6 win at The Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas.

The Isotopes hit the scoreboard early in the top of the first inning. After Bryant Hernandez got plunked with a pitch by Round Rock starting pitcher Brett Tomko, Jay Gibbons walked to put runners on first and second base. Two batters later, Jamie Hoffmann laced a two-out RBI single to right, plating Hernandez to give Albuquerque a 1-0 lead. But the Express tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second on a two-out solo homer from Jose Ruiz.

Round Rock took the point in their half of the third, which started with Nick Green drawing a walk from 'Topes starting pitcher Francisco Felix and then advancing to third on a one-out double from Chad Tracy. Joey Butler followed with a ground-out that scored Green and moved Tracy to third. The Express' 2-1 lead then jumped to 3-1 as the next batter, Val Majewski, singled to drive in Tracy.

In the top of the fifth, the 'Topes scored two runs to square the contest at 3-3. Ivan De Jesus, Jr. started the inning with a ground-out, which was followed with a Hernandez strikeout. But the next batter, Gibbons, put Albuquerque in business with a double to right. That set-up Jerry Sands, who crushed a two-run homer that tied the game. However, the Express quickly went ahead again, 4-3, in the bottom of the fifth as a Majewski ground-out scored Green from third.

Albuquerque wouldn't be down for long, though. John Lindsey led off the top of the sixth with a double and then moved to third on a one-out single from Damaso Espino. With runners on the corners, Ivan Ochoa then hit a sacrifice fly to left field that drove in Lindsey and tied the game at 4-4. De Jesus followed with a walk that pushed Espino to second base, which brought Hernandez to the batter's box. Hernandez then delivered the 'Topes a 6-4 lead with a two-run triple that plated Espino and De Jesus.

Unfortunately for Albuquerque, the Express came up big in the bottom of the seventh. Following a Luis Cruz RBI single, Kevin Cash kept up Round Rock's surge with another RBI base hit, tying the game at 6-6. That would end the night for 'Topes reliever Roy Corcoran, but a pitching change to Travis Schlichting didn't stop the Express' run as a Jose Ruiz walk was followed with a two-run double from Matt Kata, which gave Round Rock an 8-6 lead. That would be enough for Round Rock reliever Beau Jones, who pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth to seal a win for the Express.

Brett Tomko (9-6) earned the win for Round Rock, giving up six runs on eight hits over seven innings, while Corcoran (1-2) took the loss for Albuquerque after allowing four runs on four hits over 1 1/3 innings. Jones (1) earned his first save of the year.

The 'Topes and Express will play the third game of their four-game set on Sunday, with Albuquerque sending righty Mike Parisi (6-1, 5.40) to the mound against Round Rock southpaw Zach Jackson (12-5, 5.73). Game time from The Dell Diamond is at 5:05 p.m. MT.

The Isotopes' 2011 home regular season schedule is over, but that doesn't mean there won't be more baseball this year in the Duke City. The Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game comes to Albuquerque on Tuesday, September 20, pitting the winner of the Pacific Coast League playoffs against the playoff winner in the International League in a one-game, winner-take-all showdown. In addition to the game, there will also be a pre-game autograph session with Dodgers legends Steve Garvey, Ron Cey, and Bill Russell, a fleece blanket giveaway courtesy Sandia Resort, and a post-game fireworks extravaganza.

Tickets for any Isotopes game may be purchased at the Isotopes Park Box Office, at Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 1-800-745-3000, or on-line at www.albuquerquebaseball.com or www.ticketmaster.com.