RENO, Nev. – A contest filled with offense at the beginning faded down the stretch, but not before the Reno Aces scored in each of their first four sets of swings to put themselves on the path to an 8-6 win over the Round Rock Express on Friday.
Both sides could not wait to get the scoring starter as the Express (8-8/39-52) dropped five runs in their opening set of swings before the Aces (10-6/42-49) countered with two in the home half. True to form of this series, Reno took just one swing of the bat from Tyler Locklear to score both runs as he launched his fourth homer of the series, his seventh of the campaign.
A two-out RBI single from Austin Wynns plated the only Round Rock run in the second, one that kept their lead despite a three-run second by Reno. Only one of the runs was driven in on a hit, an RBI single from Angel Ortiz, while Anderdson Rojas picked up an RBI on a bunt just before Locklear worked a bases-loaded walk.
For the first time in the game a team failed to score during Round Rock’s at-bats in the third, leaving a wild pitch to push home the game’s tying run as the Aces were hitting in the home half.
Reno kept their scoring streak alive with two more runs in the home half of the fourth, the last runs scored in the contest. Yet again the Aces loaded the bases, doing so courtesy a walk and two singles, setting up Jose Fernandez to drive in a pair with his double that hit off the wall in left field.
In an attempt to comeback to win, Round Rock put at least one runner on base in every inning from the fifth through the ninth, apart from the top of the seventh. Despite the traffic on the basepaths, the Express failed to break through against the Reno bullpen.
Though he allowed six runs on 10 hits, Reno’s starter Tommy Henry (2-5) worked five full frames and struck out two while claiming his second win of the season. The Aces’ bullpen combined to work the final four frames without allowing a run while yielding just one hit and one walk.
Locklear had the only home run of the night for the Aces, their 12th of the series which is the most of any series by Reno this season. He finished his game 2-for-4 while scoring twice and walking once. Adrian Del Castillo delivered a pair of doubles, scored twice, and drew a pair of walks. Fernandez also scored twice in the contest while going 3-for-4.
Reno has won each of the last three games and secured at least a series split with Round Rock, and on Saturday they will go for their second straight series victory when the two teams line up for first pitch from Greater Nevada Field at 6:35 p.m. PT.