Reno Forces Extras but Suffer Walk-Off Defeat Against Round Rock

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Reno Aces had pulled level in the eighth to force extras where they took the lead with a single tally in the top of the 11th frame, but the Round Rock Express stole a 9-8 victory on a two-run, walk-off homer from Jarred Kelenic on Saturday.

Kristian Robinson had helped the Aces (17-15/49-58) to draw even with the Express (19-13/50-57) during the top of the eighth when his leadoff double resulted in game’s the tying run. After moving to third on Reno’s 43rd sacrifice bunt of the season, he quickly scored when a throwing error was made on a ball put in play by Demetrio Crisantes.

That score eventually forced extra innings to decide a winner, but it took two frames after both teams failed to score in the 10th. The Aces had pushed home the free runner in the inning on an RBI groundout from Jose Ferandnez, but it took little time for Round Rock to walk off winners as Kelenic blasted his sixth of the season as the first batter of the inning.

Runs in both the first and second innings helped the Aces build an early 3-0 lead, with Crisantes driving in the first run of the game when he turned a LuJames Groover double into a 1-0 lead with a single into center.

It was a similar script in the second as A.J. Vukovich walked in front of a Matt O’Neill double, but only the former scored when Anderdson Rojas ripped a ball into left field. After working his way to third, O’Neill scored on an error from an Express failed pickoff attempt.

Round Rock finally responded in the fifth, using an RBI single from Kelenic and an RBI groundout by Cody Freeman to pull within one.

However, the Aces had seemingly taken control with three runs in the top of the seventh that once more pushed the game to 6-2. A Crisantes leadoff double scored in the following at-bat on a single from Ferandez, while the latter immediately scored in the subsequent plate appearance when Manuel Pena doubled to right field.

One final tally crossed the plate in the inning with two outs, as O’Neill delivered in the clutch with an RBI knock into center field that scored Pena.

That lead was short-lived as the Express scored five times in the home half of the frame to snatch a slim one-run edge. Round Rock had just two run-producing hits in the inning as a pair of runs scored on a bases-loaded walk and a bases-loaded hit batsman.

Charged with the loss was Roman Angelo, who surrendered the homer in his only batter faced. Ashton Izzi had drawn the start and punched out five with two walks while allowing one earned run (two total) on three hits in five innings.

Both Crisantes and Fernandez ended their nights with three hits, the former doubling once, scoring once, and driving one in while the latter had a pair of RBI and scored once. Meanwhile, O’Neill also had a run, RBI and double in addition to a two-hit effort.

Round Rock and Reno close out this series with the finale on Sunday from Dell Diamond at 4:05 p.m. PT.