HOW IT HAPPENED:
Round Rock jumped out to an early lead with a crooked number in the first. Back-to-back singles by 1B Jonah Bride and 2B Josh Smith set runners at the corners with one out. DH Austin Wynns drove Bride in from third and SS Keyber Rodriguez followed with an RBI single to drive in Smith. C Cooper Johnson capped off the inning with a three-run home run, giving the E-Train an early five-run advantage.
The Aces responded with a pair of runs of their own in the bottom frame. With two outs, DH Adrian Del Castillo hit a double to keep the inning alive. 1B Tyler Locklear launched a two-run home run to make it a 5-2 game through the first inning.
The Express got a run back in the second after singles by LF Diego Castillo and Smith put runners at first and second with two outs. Wynns drove in Castillo for his second RBI of the game and extended the lead to four.
In the bottom of the inning, 3B Jose Fernandez singled and later advanced to second on a failed pickoff attempt by RHP Jose Corniell. RF Angel Ortiz drove in Fernandez with an RBI single to cut the deficit to three. The Aces loaded the bases with three consecutive walks to set up Locklear, who also worked a walk to bring in the runner from third. The score stood at 6-5 after two completed.
Reno evened the score with back-to-back singles by Fernandez and Ortiz. A double steal put runners in scoring position before Fernandez scored on a wild pitch by RHP Emiliano Teodo, knotting the game at 6.
The Aces took their first lead of the game in the fourth with a two-run RBI double by Fernandez to make it 8-6.
Both teams combined for three hits through the final four innings as Round Rock dropped Friday night’s contest, 8-6.
E-TRAIN EXCERPTS:
WHERE WE STAND: With the win tonight, Reno has secured at least a split of the series… Round Rock needs to win both games to earn their third series split of the year… a loss in either of the final two games would mark the 9th series loss of the campaign… fall to 13 G under .500 for the 7th time this season… after starting the second half 6-2, the Express have gone 2-6 through their last 8 G… fall to 5th place in the PCL standings… their lowest mark since the second half began on 6/23.
RHP JOSE CORNIELL: (ND, 1.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R-ER, 3 BB, 1 SO, 1 HR, 50 pitches, 29 strikes) made his 10th appearance and 9th start for the E-Train this season… allowed 1 R or less in his last 4 starts coming into tonight’s contest… allowed his first homer of the season at the Triple-A level to 1B Tyler Locklear… ended a 33.1-inning homerless streak… tied for his shortest outing on the season (5/20 at ELP) 5 ER is T-2nd (5/26 vs SL) most on the campaign… just the 3rd time this season the right-hander has recorded just one strikeout (5/20 at ELP and 5/26 vs SL).
DH AUSTIN WYNNS: reached base three times on the night for the 2nd time since joining the E-Train on 6/23… recorded back-to-back RBI singles in his first two plate appearances… coming off a hot month of June where he slashed .462 (6-for-13)/.500/.769/1.269 with a HR and 5 RBI in 4 G… is hitting .355 (11-for-31) with 2 HR, 9 RBI and 4 BB through his first 9 G with the Express.
C COOPER JOHNSON: hit his 8th homer of the campaign on Friday night... his 6th homer of the season away from Dell Diamond… 2nd most homers on the road by an E-Train batter (INF Jonah Bride, 7) … 5 of his 8 round-trippers have been hit over 100.0 mph… T-3rd (SL Omar Perez and SUG Carlos Perez) for the most homers hit by a PCL catcher this season.
INF JOSH SMITH: started his 3rd stint with the Express after being optioned to Round Rock from TEX… recorded singles in the 1st and 2nd inning… was hitting .286 (6-for-21) with a homer and an RBI through his first 6 G in July with the Rangers… slashed .235/.308/.382/.690 with 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI and 4 BB in his previous stint with the E-Train (6/20-28).
BACK END DUO: RHP AIDAN ANDERSON (ND, 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 SO, 24 pitches, 14 strikes) and RHP LUIS CURVELO (ND, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 28 pitches, 17 strikes) combined to silence the Reno bats through the final four frames… Anderson entered in the bottom of the 5th… made his 21st appearance out of the bullpen this season and posted his 13th scoreless outing of the campaign… third in July… 6th outing with multiple strikeouts… Curvelo entered in the bottom of the 7th… pitched in his 18th outing for the Express this season… owns a 2-0 record with a 5.06 ERA (3 ER/ 5.1 IP) through his first 4 G in July.
NEXT GAME: Saturday, July 11 at Reno FIRST PITCH: 8:35 p.m. CT BALLPARK: Greater Nevada Field
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!