NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The Round Rock Express (55-68) forced a series split after beating the Nashville Sounds (66-57) by a 3-2 score on Thursday night at First Tennessee Park. Round Rock 3B Nick Noonan delivered the biggest hit of the night when he broke a 0-0 tie in the seventh
NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The Round Rock Express (55-68) forced a series split after beating the Nashville Sounds (66-57) by a 3-2 score on Thursday night at First Tennessee Park. Round Rock 3B Nick Noonan delivered the biggest hit of the night when he broke a 0-0 tie in the seventh inning with a two-run triple.
Express starter RHP Adrian Sampson (6-4, 4.02) finished with a no decision, but shutout the Sounds through 5.2 innings on the mound. Sampson allowed eight hits, struck out six and walked one as he lowered his ERA as a starter this season to 3.61. E-Train reliever LHP Zac Curtis (1-0, 0.00) twirled 1.0 frame without permitting a run to earn the win. For Nashville, reliver RHP Chris Hatcher (0-1, 9.00) was left with the loss after allowing three runs, only one of them earned, in the seventh.
Following six scoreless innings, Round Rock put an end to the stalemate in the seventh when they jumped out to a 3-0 lead. 1B Hanser Alberto reached on an error to get things rolling with one out. SS Cliff Pennington then singled to put runners on the corners. On a 1-0 pitch from Hatcher, Noonan smoked a drive down the line in right that skipped past Nashville RF B.J. Boyd and ricocheted off the wall into center field.
Alberto jogged home from third to end the shutout while Pennington rounded the bases from first and slid home safely with an additional run. Behind them both, Noonan dove into third base without a throw to record his second three-bagger of the year. Two batters later, CF Drew Robinson plated Noonan on a double off the right-field wall to make it 3-0.
The Sounds offense got on the board for the first time in the eighth as they narrowed the Express advantage to 3-2. After sitting down the first batter of the side on a groundout, Round Rock reliever RHP Connor Sadzeck surrendered back-to-back singles. With one out, Boyd collected Nashville's third consecutive hit on a single to left off E-Train reliever LHP Brady Feigl . Two runs scored on the play as Express LF Scott Heineman misplayed the groundball in the outfield. But as Boyd loomed in scoring position, Feigl hunkered down to retire the next two batters on a pair of flyouts.
In the ninth, Sounds CF Boog Powell was walked by Round Rock reliever RHP Reed Garrett to leadoff the inning. Powell would advance to second on a flyout and then to third on a groundout before Nashville LF Anthony García popped out to third to end the game. Garrett was awarded the save for the second time in as many nights.
The E-Train road trip continues Friday night as Round Rock rolls into Memphis for a three-game set with the Redbirds (74-48) at Autozone Park. Express RHP Tyler Wagner (1-5, 4.87) is slated to start in game one against Memphis RHP Jack Woodford (3-3, 4.17). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT.
For more information on the Express, visit RoundRockExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter!
