HOW IT HAPPENED:
For the second consecutive game, the Chihuahuas scored two runs in the first for an early lead. LF Samad Taylor doubled to start the inning and came around to score on an RBI single by 3B Clay Dungan to push across the first run of the game. El Paso loaded the bases with back-to-back singles for 1B Nick Solak, who grounded into a double play, but scored Dungan from third to give the Chihuahuas a 2-0 advantage.
The Express stormed back in the second with six runs. The E-Train loaded the bases with a single and two walks for 2B Richie Martin. Martin drove in two runs with an opposite-field single to tie the score at two. Round Rock once again loaded the bases to set up SS Cam Cauley, who blasted his first career grand slam, giving the Express a 6-2 lead.
El Paso rallied for five runs in the bottom half of the second to regain the lead. The Chihuahuas knocked in three runs on five consecutive singles and tacked on a pair of runs on two groundouts to retake a 7-6 edge.
Round Rock answered with a run in the third. DH Diego Castillo and LF Trevor Hauver worked walks before advancing to scoring position on a bunt by C Cooper Johnson. Castillo scored from third on a sacrifice fly by RF Dairon Blanco, evening the score at seven.
The E-Train regained the lead in the fourth after Cauley tripled and then scored on a wild pitch to pull the Express ahead by a run.
The Express added a trio of insurance runs in the sixth to grow the lead to four. Martin was hit by a pitch, and Cauley singled before double-stealing to put runners in scoring position. 3B Jonah Bride drove in both runners with an RBI single to extend the lead. Bride later scored on a groundout to make it an 11-7 game.
Round Rock blew the game open with three runs in the seventh. Blanco and Martin reached on catcher’s interference, and Cauley followed with a single to load the bases. The Express drew three consecutive walks to push across three runs and extend the lead to seven.
The Express put the game out of reach with nine runs in the ninth inning, and RHP Mason Thompson shut the door on the Chihuahuas to secure the largest win of the season for Round Rock.
E-TRAIN EXCERPTS:
WHERE WE STAND: The Express snapped their five-game losing streak on Wednesday afternoon… 13 G below .500… 6-20 when opponents score first… are now 15-6 when scoring more than five runs… 9-4 when leading after the seventh inning.
RHP JOSE CORNIELL: (1.2 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 7 ER, BB, SO, 56 pitches, 38 strikes) made his 3rd start and 3rd outing of the season…became the first Round Rock pitcher (since at least 2005) to allow 10 hits in under 2.0 innings…OF Samad Taylor’s double to lead off the game was the only extra-base hit allowed by Corniell…
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: Round Rock plated six runs in the second… nine runs in the ninth inning… sixth and seventh time this season the Express have scored more than five runs in an inning.
BUILT BY THE BULLPEN: Round Rock’s bullpen of RHP Marc Church, RHP Aidan Anderson, LHP Robby Ahlstrom, RHP Michel Otañez and RHP Mason Thompson combined for 7.1 SHO IP after the Chihuahuas plated 7 runs through the first 1.2 innings…combined to allow just two hits through the final 7.1 innings…struck out seven batters and walked three.
RHP MARC CHURCH: tossed 1.1 scoreless innings as the first man out of the bullpen…retired all 4 batters faced…struck out the side in order in the bottom of the 3rd with 13 pitches (9 strikes)…has now held opponents scoreless in 8 of 12 appearances this season.
SS CAM CAULEY: recorded Round Rock’s first grand slam of the season and the first since 8/24/25 (Omar Narvaez at STP)…reached base six times on the afternoon…finished a double shy of the cycle…4 RBI, 5 runs and 7 plate appearances are team-highs this season …also tied the team-high in hits (4) (also, INF Jonah Bride on 4/17 vs ELP and OF Aaron Zavala on 5/7 at DUR)…batting .588 (10-for-17) with a 1.843 OPS, 2 HR, 3B, 2 2B, 8 RBI, 9 R, 3 BB and 4 SB in his last 4 G.
NOTES: Wednesday’s 13 runs through the first 2.0 innings are the most in any Triple-A game this season…13 hits ties the most (also SAC at SL on 5/1 and ABQ at SAC on 4/25)…Round Rock’s 23 total runs is their most since 6/6/19 at LV when they plated 26…scored 20+ runs twice last season (5/23 at CLT and 6/4 at SL)…are 73-15 since 2005 when the Express hit a grand slam…each hitter drove in a run for the first time this season…recorded season-highs in hits (14), walks (13), plate appearances (59), total bases (23) and hit-by-pitches (4).
NEXT GAME: Thursday, May 21 at El Paso FIRST PITCH: 7:35 p.m. CT BALLPARK: Southwest University Ballpark
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!