Express Battle Back From 5-1 Deficit to Beat Chihuahuas, 7-5

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Round Rock erased a four-run deficit and rallied past El Paso, 7-5, on Friday night. The Express struck first in the opening inning when CF Cameron Cauley singled and later scored on a base hit from CF Gilberto Celestino.

El Paso answered with five runs in the third. 1B Nick Solak launched a three-run homer to left-center before DH Will Wagner added a solo shot later in the inning. An RBI double from CF Carlos Rodríguez pushed the Chihuahuas lead to 5-1.

The Express began to chip away in the fourth when 1B Nick Pratto tripled home C Cooper Johnson. Pratto added a solo homer in the sixth to make it a 5-3 game.

Round Rock tied the game in the eighth. 2B Diego Castillo doubled and later scored on an RBI single from Johnson. After Johnson stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error, he came home to cut the deficit to one.

In the ninth, Cauley walked and 3B Jonah Bride followed with a free pass. LF Aaron Zavala drew another walk to load the bases before Celestino worked a bases-loaded walk to force in the tying run. Castillo then lined a two-run single into left field, scoring Bride and Zavala to give the Express a 7-5 lead.

RHP Emiliano Teodo faced the minimum in the ninth to secure the 7-5 victory.

E-TRAIN EXCERPTS:

WHERE WE STAND: The Express are have taken 3 of 5 in the series with El Paso heading into tomorrow’s series finale… the win snaps a three-series losing streak as they guaranteed at least a series split… can take both series vs El Paso with a win tomorrow after taking four of six from the Chihuahuas from April 14-19 at Dell Diamond.

BULLPEN BRILLIANCE: Round Rock relievers combined for 6.1 scoreless frames with just 1 H, 1 BB, 7 SO… LHP Robby Ahlstrom (ND, 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO), RHP Michel Otañez (ND, 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 SO), RHP Gavin Collyer (ND, 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 SO), RHP Mason Thompson (W, 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO) and RHP Emiliano Teodo (SV, 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO).

COMEBACK KIDS: Marks the first road comeback win of the season and ties their largest deficit to come back from (also 4 runs on 5/13 vs SAC)… improve to 2-25 when trailing after 7 and 2-23 when trailing after 8.

PRATTO POWER: (3-for-4, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, R, SO) finished a double shy of the cycle… has hits in 9 of his last 10… home runs in back-to-back games and in 3 of his last 6 and 4 of his last 10… last 10 games is slashing .395 (15-38)/.452/.789 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 8 R, 3 BB, 9 SO… started the month of May hitting just .091 (2-22) through 6 G.

NEXT GAME: Sunday, May 24 at El Paso FIRST PITCH: 7:05 p.m. CT BALLPARK: Southwest University Ballpark

For more information about the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Subscribe to the E-Train email newsletter and keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and X!