Oklahoma City Takes Down Round Rock 7-3 on Saturday Night

ROUND ROCK, Tex. - BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED:

In the fourth, Oklahoma City SS Alex Freeland singled then stole second. 1B Ryan Ward hit a single to RF Marcus Smith and Freeland scored on Smith’s fielding error. The Comets led 1-0.

Round Rock took the lead in the bottom of the inning with two runs on two hits. LF Kellen Strahm got aboard with a base hit and 3B Frainyer Chavez drew a walk. The two advanced on a double steal setting up 2B Alex De Goti’s sacrifice fly to right field. CF Dustin Harris broke the tie with a single up the middle, sending Chavez around for a 2-1 Round Rock advantage.

Oklahoma City’s response came with six runs in the top of the fifth. 3B Kody Hoese hit a double down the left field line that scored two. Hoese advanced to third on an error and came home on 2B Austin Gauthier’s sacrifice fly. CF Justin Dean drew a walk then stole his eighth base of the year. RF Esteury Ruiz drove Dean in with a single up the middle. Freeland recorded an RBI single and Ward sent him around on a double moving the Comets lead to 7-2.

In the seventh, Harris recorded his second single of the night, stole second, then moved to third on a LHP Ben Harris wild pitch. 1B Blaine Crim sent a sacrifice fly to center field and the Express scratched another run across, cutting the deficit to 7-3.

Oklahoma City RHP Jack Little struck out five batters in 2.1 IP en route to earning his eighth save of the season. The Comets took a 3-2 series lead with their 7-3 win on Saturday.

E-TRAIN EXCERPTS:

CURVELO: RHP Luis Curvelo threw 1.1 innings without allowing a run or a hit on Saturday night. Curvelo has given up just two runs in his last 11 outings (11.1 IP). He has struck out 13 batters and walked three in that span.

ORNELAS: In his first 18 games with Round Rock, INF Jonathan Ornelas owned a .145 average (8-55). Since May 1, Ornelas is batting .268 (11-41) in 11 games. He did not have an extra-base hit in his first 24 games but has three in his last five games.

WALLACH: C Chad Wallach has recorded a hit in five of his last six games. Wallach had just eight hits in his first 18 games. In this series, he is 6-for-16 with two RBI, two runs scored, two walks and four strikeouts.

NEXT GAME: Sunday, May 18 vs Oklahoma City FIRST PITCH: 1:05 p.m. CT BALLPARK: Dell Diamond

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 X!