Express Earn 8-7 Comeback Win Against Skeeters in Series Finale 

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Round Rock Express (41-43) earned their second straight comeback win over the Sugar Land Skeeters (46-37), this time by an 8-7 final on Tuesday night at Dell Diamond. SS Ryan Dorow launched a three-run home run in the eighth inning to push Round Rock ahead of Sugar Land 8-7 after entering the inning down 7-5.

Round Rock RHP Nick Snyder (1-0, 9.00) earned his first career Triple-A win after tossing a scoreless inning of relief that saw two strikeouts. Skeeters RHP Michael Kelly (1-4, 2.79) ended the night with a blown-save loss that saw three runs on four hits and just one punchout.

The Skeeters pushed their first runner across home in the first inning as 2B Garrett Stubbs worked a one-out walk, advanced to second base on a wild pitch then found home as 3B Robel Garcia knocked a double for a 1-0 lead.

Sugar Land plated three more in the third to extend the gap to 4-0. SS C.J. Hinojosa led off the frame by reaching on a Round Rock error before moving to second on a Stubbs single. CF Jose Siri sent both runners in as he launched a three-run homer onto the center field shed.

Round Rock got on the board in the bottom of the frame as LF Steele Walker tallied his second Triple-A home run to score Dorow, who had recorded a leadoff double, trimming the Sugar Land lead to 4-2.

The two sides traded a run in the fourth as 1B Colton Shaver hit a solo home run for the Skeeters before Express DH John Hicks blasted a 468-foot shot out of the ballpark, bringing the score to 5-3.

The fifth and sixth innings saw one run for each team as well. Sugar Land LF J.J. Matijevic tripled to right field and scored as C Michael Papierski grounded into a double play in the fifth before RF Marty Costes blasted a solo home run of his own in the sixth.

1B Charles Leblanc knocked his second home run in as many games for Round Rock in the fifth frame. 2B Nick Solak then added to the Express total in the sixth after hitting a double, moving to second on a Yohel Pozo single and scoring on a Sherten Apostel single. After a scoreless seventh, the Skeeters headed into the eighth ahead 7-5.

Hicks and Apostel kicked off the bottom of the eighth for Round Rock with back-to-back singles. In the third at-bat of the inning, Dorow sent a three-run dinger into the Express bullpen to erase the deficit and give the good guys an 8-7 advantage heading into the final frame.

On the mound, RHP Scott Engler earned the save after holding the Skeeters scoreless in the top of the ninth, despite allowing two walks. Texas Rangers LHP John King finished his first rehab outing with just one hit and one walk over one frame of relief. The lefty threw 19 pitches with 10 landing in the strike zone.

Round Rock is back in action on Thursday, August 12 when the team travels to face the Oklahoma City Dodgers (Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate) at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. Express RHP Yerry Rodriguez (0-1, 24.00) is set for the series-opening start against Dodgers RHP Yefry Rodríguez (3-3, 5.49). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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!