El Paso Earns 9-6 Win Over Round Rock on Monday Night

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The El Paso Chihuahuas (39-54) earned a 9-6 game-five win over the Round Rock Express (44-50) in a contest that saw four lead changes on Monday night at Dell Diamond. All six Express runs came in thanks to home runs as CF Steele Walker recorded two and DH Josh Jung blasted his first Triple-A shot.

Round Rock reliever RHP Blake Bass (0-1, 0.00) was tagged with the loss after the righty’s 0.2-inning Triple-A debut saw three runs, all unearned, cross home thanks to three hits and two walks. El Paso reliever RHP Taylor Williams (2-0, 4.09) earned the win after allowing one run on two hits over 3.0 frames.

The Express found home plate in the bottom of the first inning as Walker bunted to tally a leadoff single before coming home thanks to a John Hicks home run that landed on the center field shed for a 2-0 lead.

El Paso then cut the Express lead to 2-1 in the third when 3B Nick Tanielu scored on a Brian O’Grady sacrifice fly.

The Chihuahuas took over with three runs in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead. After recording a base hit to start the frame, LF Taylor Kohlwey stole second before advancing to third as CF Jose Azocar singled. The left fielder came home on an Express wild pitch then Azocar scored on a Patrick Kivlehan single. Kivlehan added to the total after moving to second on a hit from C Webster Rivas and scoring on one from 2B Ivan Castillo.

Round Rock regained the lead, making it a 5-4 ballgame in the bottom of the fourth. Walker blasted a dinger that scored SS Trace Loehr, who had recorded a single, before Jung went yard for his first Triple-A home run.

Walker tallied his second home run of the contest in the sixth inning, a 382-foot shot that increased the Express advantage to 6-4.

The lead changed hands yet again in the seventh as El Paso surged ahead 7-6. After reaching on a fielding error, Rivas moved to second as Castillo singled then both advanced on an O’Grady groundout. A wild pitch sent Rivas across home plate before SS Matthew Batten drove Castillo home with a single. A base hit from Kohlwey and a walk by Azocar loaded the bases. Batten scored the inning’s final run as 1B Gosuke Katoh worked a bases-loaded walk.

El Paso added a run in both the eighth and ninth innings as Rivas scored on a double from O’Grady in the eighth and Azocar scored as Katoh hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth. RHP Shaun Anderson retired the Round Rock batters in order during the bottom of the ninth frame to secure a 9-6 win for the visitors and earn the save.

Round Rock and El Paso play for the series finale at Dell Diamond on Tuesday night. The Express starter, to be announced, will start up against Chihuahuas RHP Caleb Boushley (3-4, 5.43). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.

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 Twitter!