Hot Bats Gift E-Train 10-4 Victory Over Sky Sox

ROUND ROCK, Texas - C J.P. Arencibia and LF Michael Choice each homered for the Round Rock Express (47-45) Thursday, while combining for six RBI to lead the E-Train to a convincing 10-4 victory over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (42-52) on Christmas in July at Dell Diamond.

With the win, Round Rock preserved a series split with the Sky Sox and pulled to within a half game of division leader Nashville going into their three-game series with the Sounds at Greer Stadium.

Colorado Springs picked up right where they left off Wednesday as SS Rafael Ynoa led off the game with a single and DH Carlos Gonzalez hammered a RBI triple off the wall in center. Express starting pitcher RHP Luke Jackson was able to strand Cargo at third, however, retiring the next three batters in order to keep it a 1-0 game.

The E-Train got the run back in the home half of the first. SS Luis Sardinas doubled down the right field line to begin the inning and later scored on an RBI single by Arencibia to square the game at one.

With two outs in the second, C Dustin Garneau took Jackson deep to left to retake the lead for Colorado Springs.

Round Rock one-upped the Sky Sox in home half of the second, scoring twice to pull ahead 3-2. DH Brent Lillibridge worked a one-out walk then advanced to second on a Josh Wilson base hit. Sardinas followed with his second double of the night, a two-run shot into the left-center field gap, to give the E-Train the lead.

The Sky Sox plated a run in the third to knot the game at three. Ynoa drew a walk to lead off the inning and came around to score on a one-out triple by 1B Ben Paulsen to tie things up.

Garneau struck again in the seventh with his second go-ahead home run of the night to put Colorado Springs back on top at 4-3. The one-out blast off Round Rock reliever RHP Nate Adcock was the catcher's third with the Sky Sox this season.

Keeping with the flow of the game, the Express responded immediately as Choice led off the home half of the seventh with a game-tying round tripper to left, his first since being optioned to Round Rock on June 7. After an out, Arencibia and 3B Ryan Rua laced back-to-back singles to right for 1B Brett Nicholas, who ripped a go-ahead single just past the first baseman. With runners on the corners and one out, the E-Train tacked on a final run in a peculiar manner to make it 6-4. On a 3-2 pitch to Lillibridge, Nicholas broke for second. Lillibridge whiffed for strike three and the catcher, Garneau, threw to second in an attempt to cut down the stealing Nicholas. Rua broke for home on the throw down to second, and scored easily when Sky Sox second baseman Angelys Nina committed to tagging out Nicholas.

Round Rock piled on four more runs in the eighth to put the win away. With SS Josh Wilson on second following a double, Choice bounced a two-out single through the middle to up the E-Train to seven. After CF Jared Hoying singled, Arencibia busted the game wide open with a towering three-run blast into the home run porch in left. Arencibia now has a PCL-leading 13 homers since he joined the Express on May 21.

Adcock (1-0, 3.21 ERA) earned his first victory of the season after tossing two innings in relief of Jackson. The right-hander from Elizabethtown, Kentucky allowed just the solo shot to Garneau, while walking one and striking out four.

LHP Michael Kirkman, who entered for Adcock with in the eighth, picked up his first save of the season after pitching two perfect innings.

The Express heads to Nashville Friday for a quick three-game series with Sounds at Greer Stadium going into the All-Star break. RHP Scott Richmond (1-3, 7.46 ERA) will take the mound for Round Rock against Sounds RHP Ariel Pena (5-6, 4.81). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Listen to the game live on 104.9 FM The Horn or online at hornfm.com. For more information on the Express, visit www.RoundRockExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Keep up with the Express on Facebook and Twitter!