Round Rock Drops 3-1 Heartbreaker to Oklahoma City in Series Finale 

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma – The Oklahoma City Dodgers (61-58) thwarted a Round Rock Express (61-58) bid at a no-hitter in the seventh inning then rallied for three late runs in the eighth to collect a 3-1 victory on Tuesday afternoon at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. With the win, Oklahoma City secured a 16-13 edge over Round Rock in the 29-game season series between the two Red Dirt Rumble foes.

Express RHP Ryder Ryan (2-7, 5.98) suffered the blown save loss after allowing all three Dodgers runs, only two of which were earned, on four hits while registering a strikeout in the eighth inning. Oklahoma City LHP Darien Nuñez (7-0, 2.63) earned the win after allowing a hit and a strikeout in an inning of relief.

Round Rock starter LHP Brock Burke cruised through his four innings of work, allowing just two baserunners, a leadoff Sheldon Neuse walk then a two-out Zach Reks hit by pitch in the fourth inning, striking out three along the way. Express RHP Demarcus Evans entered in the fifth inning and proceeded to throw 2.0 perfect innings of relief to keep the no-hit bid alive.

Offensively, the E-Train jumped on the board in the fifth as 2B Ryan Dorow hit a one-out single before OKC starter RHP Yefry Ramírez walked DH Josh Jung, 3B Yohel Pozo and SS Trace Loehr in consecutive order to send a run home and break the scoreless draw. Ramírez managed to work out of the bases-loaded jam by enticing 1B Curtis Terry into an inning-ending double play.

With RHP Jake Lemoine on to pitch the bottom of the seventh inning for Round Rock, Oklahoma City 2B Matt Davidson led off with a single to end the E-Train’s no-hit bid. An inning later, Ryan entered and allowed a one-out triple to 2B Sheldon Neuse. After an RBI single by SS Zach McKinstry leveled the game at 1-1, Davidson singled to put two runners aboard. An ensuing Cristian Santana sent McKinstry home, then a fielding error by Terry during C Anthony Bemboom’s at-bat allowed Davidson to race home with Oklahoma City’s third and final run of the day.

Dodgers RHP Kevin Quackenbush retired the side in order in the ninth inning to earn his 20th save of the season and seal the 3-1 win for the Dodgers, trimming Round Rock’s series victory to 4-2.

After a league-wide off-day on Wednesday, Round Rock returns home to Dell Diamond on Thursday, September 23 to host the Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners affiliate) in a five-game series as part of the Triple-A Final Stretch. Thursday night’s series opener is set for 7:05 p.m. Starting pitchers for both teams have yet to be announced.

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!