Round Rock Drops a Pair Against Las Vegas on Thursday

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (38-28 | 82-58) faced off against the Las Vegas Aviators (40-26 | 74-66) and dropped two contests on Thursday night at Dell Diamond. The two teams resumed Wednesday’s suspended game and were shut out 5-0, then completed the scheduled seven-inning game three of the series and fell 8-3 in eight innings.

Along the Train Tracks – Game 1:

• Express reliever RHP Marc Church (6-1, 3.43) went home with his first loss of the season after giving up three runs on three hits with one walk and one strikeout in 0.2 innings. Aviators reliever RHP Billy Sullivan (8-2, 5.08) earned the win after tossing 3.0 innings allowing one hit and fanning four.
• On Wednesday prior to the game’s suspension, Las Vegas took a 3-0 lead in the third inning when 2B Tyler Wade doubled, stole a base a scored on a sacrifice fly from 3B Jonah Bride. After 1B Buddy Kennedy drew a walk, RF Cody Thomas smacked a home run to cap off the inning’s scoring.
• With play resuming on Thursday, scoring picked up in the top of the eighth inning after four hits from Kennedy, Thomas, DH Yohel Pozo and SS Darell Hernaiz added two runs to the scoresheet for a 5-0 Aviators lead.
• The Express managed just two hits in the final six innings and the 5-0 score stood final.

Along the Train Tracks – Game 2:

• Round Rock reliever RHP Alex Speas (1-2, 5.70) was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs on one hit and two walks in 0.1 innings. Las Vegas reliever RHP Chase Cohen (6-1, 7.62) blew the save but still earned the win after 1.2 hitless innings that saw one strikeout.
• The Aviators opened the scoring with one run in the first inning after 2B Tyler Wade led off with a single and stole a base, eventually scoring on an RBI single from 1B Buddy Kennedy.
• In the home half of the third inning, the Express had the bases loaded after a single, Aviators error and a walk put three runners on. 1B Justin Foscue smacked a two-RBI single to put Round Rock in front 2-1.
• The lead flipped in the fifth inning in favor of Las Vegas when LF Greg Deichmann hit a two-run home run after CF Conner Capel had drawn a one-out walk.
• Express DH Blaine Crim led off the sixth inning with a double, advanced to third after LF Dustin Harris singled and scored on a sacrifice fly from 3B Dio Arias which tied the game 3-3.
• Neither team recorded a run in the seventh and the scheduled seven-inning game was headed to extras.
• In the eighth inning, a fielder’s choice took away the inherited runner, but a single and a walk loaded the bases with one out for Las Vegas. A passed ball by C Matt Whatley scored the go-ahead run and the Aviators led 4-3. A walk to Kennedy loaded the bases back up and back-to-back two-RBI hits from RF Cody Thomas and C Yohel Pozo extended the lead 8-3. Round Rock went scoreless in the eighth and the 8-3 score was final.

E-Train Excerpts:

• Round Rock RHP Justin Slaten made his Triple-A debut on Thursday and tossed 2.0 hitless innings that saw three strikeouts.
• In game one, the Express were shutout for the fourth time overall this season. Thursday was the first time the Round Rock offense went scoreless since May 12 when the team lost 6-0 to Oklahoma City.
• Express RHP Robert Dugger extended his Pacific Coast League strikeout lead after notching six tonight and sits at 140 on the season. The righty is one strikeout shy of matching his career high of 141 that was set in 2018 when he spent time between High-A Jupiter and Double-A Jacksonville as a member of the Miami Marlins organization.
• Round Rock LHP Jake Latz struck out five straight batters after appearing from the bullpen and allowed just one hit in his 2.0 innings. The last time an E-Train pitcher struck out five consecutive batters was Latz on May 31 when he struck out six straight against Sugar Land.

Next up: Round Rock and Las Vegas are scheduled to play for game four of the series at Dell Diamond on Friday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Express RHP Owen White (2-2, 4.70) is slated to take the mound against Aviators RHP Joey Estes (3-0, 5.86).

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!