Missions Derail Express 10-2 in Series Opener

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The Round Rock Express (45-32) fell to the I-35 rival San Antonio Missions (49-29) by a 10-2 count on Tuesday night at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium. Despite a strong start from the E-Train, the Missions fired back with 15 total hits to fuel a win.
E-Train RHP Akeem Bostick (4-4, 5.82) suffered the loss after surrendering four runs on seven hits in a 5.0-inning start. On the winning side, Missions RHP Thomas Jankins (7-2, 3.65) allowed only two runs on eight hits and a walk in 7.0 innings pitched.
Round Rock broke the scoreless tie in the second inning as LF Josh Rojas notched a leadoff single before advancing to second on a Nick Tanielu groundout. 1B AJ Reed then singled home Rojas and moved to second thanks to a base hit from 2B Alex De Goti. LF Taylor Jones then sent in Reed with a single for Round Rock's second run.
However, the Missions poured it on from there to serve the Express a bitter loss. LF Cory Spangenberg worked a leadoff walk in the home half of the eighth prior to heading to second on a David Freitas hit and touching home via another single, this time courtesy of C Jacob Nottingham. The next inning, 2B Keston Hiura doubled home Maurico Dubon after a leadoff hit to level the score at two.
In the fourth, Freitas led off with a double and safely advanced to third on a Nate Orf ground out. The runner later plated the go-ahead on a Nottingham sacrifice fly. Dubon and Nottingham combined for a pair of doubles, the second of which scored a run, to extend the lead to 4-2.
In the final two innings, San Antonio put up six runs to insure the win. In the seventh, Hiura notched his 19th home run followed by a Spangenberg double. Saladino quickly tacked on an RBI single, and later scored a run of his own on Nottingham's second sacrifice fly. Dubon led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run, followed by four base hits that added two more runs for the Missions and finalized a 10-2 decision.
Round Rock aims to bounce back from a tough loss on Wednesday night. E-Train RHP Jose Urquidy (3-1, 3.35) is set to start opposite Missions RHP Corbin Burnes (0-0, 0.00). First pitch at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.  
For more information on the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and join the conversation during our historic 20th season using #20STROng.
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Round Rock Express Baseball, owned and operated by Ryan Sanders Baseball, LP, is the proud Triple-A Affiliate of the Houston Astros and a member of the Pacific Coast League.