SUGAR LAND, Texas – The Round Rock Express (6-4) cruised to a 7-2 victory over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (3-7) on Friday night after posting an early four-run inning at Constellation Field.
Round Rock reliever RHP Tyson Miller (1-0, 1.29) went home with the night’s win after tossing 4.0 innings that saw one unearned run, two hits, one walk and four strikeouts. The loss went to Sugar Land starter RHP Peter Solomon (0-1, 3.24), who allowed five runs, three earned, on five hits and one walk while recording four punchouts.
Along the Train Tracks:
- Round Rock scored the night’s first runs for the fourth game in a row to take a 4-0 lead in the second inning. DH Yohel Pozo hit a one-out single then was joined on base as C Meibrys Viloria worked a walk. After a second out was made, RF Elier Hernandez cleared the bases with a home run to center field.
- Express 2B Ryan Dorow knocked a base hit in the next at-bat then was sent to third thanks to a Josh Smith single, which resulted in a fielding error that ultimately helped Dorow find home and Smith find second.
- The fourth inning saw another E-Train run when Viloria reached on a fielding error, moved to second as SS Davis Wendzel grounded out, advanced to third on a wild pitch then scored on a Hernandez groundout.
- Viloria kept his on-base streak going in the sixth frame when he hit a leadoff single. Wendzel and Hernandez followed with back-to-back walks to load the bases. As the top of the order came around, Smith recorded a one-out single that scored Viloria before CF Bubba Thompson hit a single to send Hernandez home to extend Round Rock’s advantage to 7-0.
- Sugar Land avoided the shutout with one run in the bottom of the sixth. Space Cowboys 2B Franklin Barreto singled then advanced to second base on an Express error before moving to third as CF Alex McKenna grounded out. He eventually crossed home plate thanks to an Alex De Goti groundout.
- The Space Cowboys added a second tally in the ninth inning when De Goti found home again after rounding the bases on a walk, Express error and wild pitch.
E-Train Excerpts:
- Round Rock starter RHP Glenn Otto added to his scoreless streak after allowing just one hit and one walk and striking out four batters during his 4.0 innings of work.
- C Meibrys Viloria knocked his first hit of the season in his third start with the Express. The catcher found first base in all four plate appearances he made as he also drew two walks and reached on a fielding error.
- The night’s home run came from Round Rock RF Elier Hernandez, who blasted his first of the season.
- E-Train 3B Josh Smith and SS Bubba Thompson both recorded multiple hits as Smith knocked two singles and Thompson hit three.
- RHP Dan Winkler took the mound for Round Rock in the ninth inning and tossed one inning that included an unearned run and two strikeouts.
Next up: The two in-state foes meet for game five at Constellation Field on Saturday, with first pitch set for 6:05 p.m. Round Rock LHP Jake Latz (1-1, 3.00) is slated to start against Sugar Land RHP Chad Donato (1-0, 0.00).
