Chihuahuas Bite Express on Wednesday, 12-4

EL PASO, Tex. - BOX SCORE

HOW IT HAPPENED:

El Paso jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. DH Jake Cronenworth got on with a walk and came around to score on a two-out single from LF Tirso Ornelas.

The Chihuahuas added four in the fourth. Ornelas led off with a double and RF Connor Joe got on after being hit by a pitch. With two down, C Rodolfo Duran dropped a single into right sending Ornelas home. El Paso broke it open with a three-run inside-the-park home run from SS Clay Dungan and the Chihuahuas led 5-0.

In the fifth, El Paso plated two more runs on three hits. The Chihuahuas loaded the bases and 2B Nate Mondou sent a RBI single into center field. Duran then drew a bases-loaded walk and Ornelas came in to extend the El Paso advantage to 7-0.

Round Rock got on the board with three runs in the sixth. SS Ezequiel Duran doubled to right then scored on 1B Justin Foscue’s double down the left field line. 3B Cody Freeman and RF Kellen Strahm both recorded RBI singles and the Express trailed 7-3.

El Paso answered with a run in the bottom of the inning. CF Forrest Wall walked and stole second. 1B Trenton Brooks smoked a single down the line in left and Wall came home for an 8-3 Chihuahuas lead.

The Chihuahuas tallied another in the seventh. 3B Eguy Rosario drew a leadoff walk. Wall recorded his first double of the season and Rosario scored from second, making it 9-3.

The Express cut into the deficit in the top half of the eighth. 1B Jake Burger got on with his second hit of the day and moved to third on a Freeman double. CF Sam Haggerty grounded out and scored Burger to make it a 9-4 El Paso lead.

In the eighth, Rosario hit a sacrifice fly and Duran punched a two-run double down the right field line sending it to a 12-4 final score.

E-TRAIN EXCERPTS:

ZEKE’S STREAK: SS Ezequiel Duran extended his hitting streak to seven games after going 1-for-3 with a double on Wednesday. He has an extra-base hit in five consecutive games. During the hitting streak, he is slashing .464 (13-28)/.500/.857 with five doubles, two homers, two RBI, nine runs scored, two walks and four strikeouts.. Duran is slugging .673 this year as 10 of his 19 hits have gone for extra-bases.

MASHING IN MAY: 3B Cody Freeman went 2-for-4 on Tuesday and now has a hit in six consecutive games. Freeman is batting a league-best .458 (11-24) in the month of May. His season average is also up to .327 (34-104) which ranks seventh in the PCL.

NEXT GAME: Thursday, May 8 at El Paso FIRST PITCH: 7:35 p.m. CT BALLPARK: Southwest University Park

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!