Employing seven arms on the mound, the Round Rock Express could not establish any dominance on the hill, falling to the El Paso Chihuahuas 7-1 on Father’s Day at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas.
A mostly bullpen arm this season for the Rangers’ Triple-A team, pitcher Peyton Gray made only his second start of the season. Despite a positive showing earlier in the series, Gray was unable to get much momentum going in the first inning, allowing three runs to put the Express down early.
On Gray’s second throw of the unusually cool June evening, El Paso shortstop Clay Dungan capitalized on the low fastball, rifling a deep home run into the left outfield lawn for the game’s first score.
Just after the home run ball, El Paso infielder Mason McCoy captured his first hit of the night, finding the exact spot as Dungan’s homer. Darting toward the outfield boards and looking for redemption, Express left fielder Trevor Hauver crashed into the outfield wall while trying to make the routine out, falling limp with the ball lying beside him.
Express center fielder Dustin Harris rushed to his side, more worried about his teammate than the ball stranded in the outfield. McCoy stopped at second, despite having more than enough time to make it home for another score.
Harris motioned with his glove to the training staff and the dugout. The game paused for a moment before Hauver got to his feet, leaving the game on his own. Express second baseman Alex De Goti moved into the outfield in place of the injured Hauver.
After the brief stoppage, McCoy did not have to wait long to come home for his score, as infielder Nate Mondou shot a shallow line drive into center field, allowing his base runner to come home. Working with just a single out, left fielder Tim Locastro elected to bunt on his first at-bat of the evening, putting El Paso up by three runs in the opening inning.
While pitching was a struggle for the Express, it was the complete opposite for the Chihuahuas, as pitcher Matt Waldron, who has spent time in the big leagues for San Diego, carved through the Express batting rotation well into the sixth inning.
Lasting 5.2 innings, Waldron only allowed Round Rock a pair of hits in the second inning. Allowing just one more hit down the stretch against the Express, Waldron’s night came to a close in the sixth, compiling five strikeouts, three hits and a single earned run.
Becoming a pitcher’s duel down the stretch, both teams’ bullpens held each other hitless until the game’s final frame.
Going 0-4 at the plate, El Paso designated hitter Jason Heyward finally broke through for a double into right field for the Chihuahuas’ second back-to-back, allowing McCoy to score all the way from first. A sac fly by Mondou allowed Heyward to trot home for the game’s final score.
Round Rock is set to face the Pacific Coast League’s second-best team, the Oklahoma City Comets, this week at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
