HOW IT HAPPENED:
Round Rock struck first in the bottom of the third with 1B Nick Pratto’s solo home run to jump out to an early 1-0 lead.
Sacramento responded with a run in the fifth. DH Drew Cavanaugh doubled and moved to third on a single by 1B Jake Holton. Cavanaugh scored on an RBI single by SS Osleivis Basabe, evening the score at one.
The River Cats broke the tie with a run in the sixth. 3B Buddy Kennedy doubled to start the inning, and LF Will Brennan followed with a single. Kennedy scored on a sacrifice fly from Cavanaugh to make it a 2-1 game.
The visitors added to their tally in the eighth with a trio of runs. After loading the bases with a single, a hit-by-pitch, and a walk, Holton cleared the bases with a three-run double, extending the lead to four.
The Express answered with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. RF Gilberto Celestino worked a walk, and 3B Diego Castillo singled to advance runners to first and second. SS Michael Helman hit a three-run home run, cutting the deficit to one.
The E-Train loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth after a single, a walk, and an error. With no outs and bases loaded, PH Aaron Zavala scored two runs on an RBI single, walking the game off with a 6-5 victory.
E-TRAIN EXCERPTS:
RHP TREY SUPAK: (ND, 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 SO, 79 pitches, 59 strikes) made his eighth start of the season…fifth straight start tossing at least five innings… did not give up a hit or a run until the fifth inning (2B Drew Cavanaugh)… made his fifth career start in six game against Sacramento.
OF MICHAEL HELMAN: (1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, SO) belted his team-leading 5th home run with a 3-run shot in the bottom of the 8th...45 degrees on the homer marks the highest on an E-Train round-tripper this season…has a hit in 5 of his last 6 G… four of his homers have come in the last two weeks (4/29)… has four of the last eighth Express homers.
OF AARON ZAVALA: delivered Round Rock’s first walk-off win of the season with a two-run single in the bottom of the 9th as a pinch-hitter for RF Gilberto Celestino…is now slashing .343/.410/.543 with a HR, 4 2B, 5 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB, 7 SO and 2 SB through 9 G in May.
NOTES: The Express earned their first win of the season when trailing after the 7th inning (now 1-20)…are 14-4 when scoring 5+ runs and 5-14 when allowing 5+ runs.
NEXT GAME: Thursday, May 14 vs. Sacramento FIRST PITCH: 6:45 p.m. CT BALLPARK: Dell Diamond
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