HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Aces scored the first run of the game to take an early one-run lead in the first. 3B LuJames Groover doubled and came around to score on DH Demetrio Crisantes’ RBI single.
Reno continued the scoring with a pair of runs in the second. A walk from LF A.J. Vukovich and a double from C Matt O’Neill put runners at second and third. CF Anderdson Rojas drove in Vukovich with an RBI single and advanced O’Neill to third. O’Neill scored on a throwing error from LHP Dalton Pence to make it a 3-0 advantage.
The Express got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. 3B Diego Castillo led off the inning with a double and advanced to third base on a flyout. CF Jarred Kelenic knocked in Castillo with a single to plate the first run for the E-Train. After advancing to third on a stolen base and a throwing error from O’Neill, Kelenic scored on a groundout from 2B Cody Freeman. Round Rock trailed by a run entering the sixth inning.
The Aces added three runs to their tally in the top of the seventh. Crisantes started the frame with a double before scoring on a single from SS Jose Fernandez. 1B Manuel Pena roped a double to the right field corner to score Fernandez. O’Neill capped off the inning with an RBI single, scoring Pena from second and extending the Reno lead to 6-2.
Round Rock rallied for five runs in the bottom frame to take their first lead of the game. DH Trevor Hauver and Castillo each singled to start the inning and Hauver scored on an RBI single from Kelenic. Freeman singled to load the bases with one out. LF John Taylor was hit by a pitch, forcing in Castillo from third. C Logan O’Hoppe followed by drawing a seven-pitch walk to cut the deficit to one. With two outs, 1B Jonah Bride delivered a two-run single to drive in Freeman and Taylor. The E-Train led 7-6 entering the final two innings.
Reno evened the score at seven after RF Kristian Robinson doubled and later scored on a throwing error from RHP Marc Church.
Neither team was able to score the go-ahead run in the eighth or ninth, and the game was forced into extra innings.
The Aces plated a run in the eleventh inning. Crisantes singled to advance the ghost runner Groover to third base. Groover scored on a groundout by Fernandez to give Reno a 8-7 edge.
In the bottom of the eleventh with Rodriguez at second base, Kelenic went after the first pitch he saw and launched a walk-off two-run home run to give Round Rock a 9-8 victory on Saturday night.
E-TRAIN EXCERPTS:
WHERE WE STAND: The E-Train secured a series victory over the Aces with the win on Saturday night… Round Rock is now 4-3 in extra-inning games this season… now hold sole control of 2nd place in the PCL standings after entering the series in 4th place… are 9-5 in home games to start the second half… also marks the 8th series victory on the season… are 4-1 through the last 5 and 8-2 in the last 10 G.
LHP DALTON PENCE: (ND, 1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO, 43 pitches, 25 strikes) made his Triple-A debut on Saturday night…added to the Round Rock roster today from Double-A Frisco… tossed his shortest outing of the season… has not tossed less than 2.0 innings in a start since 6/5/25 with Single-A Hickory where he threw 1.0 innings and struck out 2 batters… was added to the RoughRiders roster on 5/14 and carried a 2-2 record and a 2.77 ERA (17 ER/55.1 IP) through 11 appearances with Frisco… started the season with High-A Hub City, owning a 0-1 record with a 2.59 ERA (7 ER/24.1 IP)… the left-hander enters tonight game leading all Rangers farmhands this season with 91 strikeouts.
C LOGAN O’HOPPE: made his Express debut tonight after being acquired in a trade on 7/29 from LAA… recorded an RBI with his walk in the 7th inning… the 26-year-old West Islip native has played the previous 4 seasons with the Angels… before being traded on Thursday, the catcher has appeared in 70 G behind the dish which was T-4th most in the American League… has hit .227 (303-for-1332) with 57 HR and 153 RBI in 386 career games with LAA… was tabbed as the No. 1 prospect in the Angels farm system at the start of the 2023 season…was originally sent to the Halos in a trade with PHI on 8/2/22 in exchange for OF Brandon Marsh.
RHP EMILIANO TEODO: (ND, 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R-ER, 3 SO, 1 BB, 32 pitches, 19 strikes) appeared in his team-leading 38th contest out of the bullpen this season… 4th most appearances as a reliever in the PCL this year… allowed a single to the first batter he saw… retired the next three batters with consecutive strikeouts… 58 strikeouts is the most among PCL relievers this year… went to his slider 50% (16/32) and generated a 56% (5/9) whiff rate… has thrown 30+ pitches in an outing just 6 times this season.
OF JARRED KELENIC: went 3-for-6 with 4 RBI, a walk-off home run, a stolen base and 3 runs on Saturday night…is now batting .459 (17-37) with 4 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, 10 RBI, 15 runs and 4 stolen bases in 10 games against the Aces this season…has also recorded multiple hits in 7 of his last 9 games, slashing .450/.463/.825 in that span.
INF JONAH BRIDE: gave the Express their first lead of the game with a two-run RBI single in the bottom of the 7th… the single marked Bride’s 39th H this season with 2 outs, which is the most in the PCL… Bride also leads the league with 54 H this year with two strikes.
NOTES: OF Jarred Kelenic launched the E-Train’s 2nd walk-off home run of the season… the last walk-off homer was on 7/1 when INF Keyber Rodriguez hit a two-run home run to earn the victory over ABQ at Dell Diamond… Kelenic’s walk-off homer was recorded at 104.6 mph, which is his hardest-hit home run this season with the Express.
NEXT GAME: Sunday, August 2 vs Reno FIRST PITCH: 6:05 p.m. CT BALLPARK: Dell Diamond
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