El Paso Wallops Express in Series Opener

The Round Rock Express opened their six-game series to the El Paso Chihuahuas with a 12-to-3 loss.  The loss is the eighth consecutive for Express, after being swept by the Oklahoma City Dodgers in their six-game series. 

The game was noteworthy because it featured the Dell Diamond premier of Jennifer (Jen) Pawol.  Pawol is only the seventh woman to umpire professional baseball, a role she has held since 2017. 

May has not been good to Round Rock.  They are 4-10 in the month, and have allowed five or more runs in eight of their last ten games.  The team owns an ERA of 5.35 (versus 3.42 in April) and is batting only .233. 

Expectations were high for Express starting pitcher Kyle Cody, coming of a relief outing in which he tossed 4.2 innings, collected a season high seven strikeouts, and allowed but a single run. 

Unfortunately, Kyle Cody (0-3, 6.83) got off to a rough start and went home with the loss.  He allowed eight runs, seven of which were earned, on nine hits in 3.0 innings on the mound. El Paso starter Anderson Espinoza (2-2, 5.46) earned the win after 6.0 innings that saw just one run on four hits with seven strikeouts. 

El Paso clobbered Cody in the first inning, tallying five runs.  Tim Lopes’ bases-loaded double scored David Dahl, Joe Iglesias, and Alfonson Rivas.  Lopes then scored on Preston Tucker’s double to right field.  Tucker then scored on Rangel Ravelo’s single to center field. 

Elier Hernandez put the Express on the scoreboard with a solo home run in the second inning. 

El Paso responded in the top of the next frame, starting with Rivas’ drive over the center right field wall, scoring Brandon Dixon.  The Chihuahuas added an additional run on Mattehw Batten single, bringing home Batton. 

The Express made a decisive defensive stand on a bases loaded double play with no out in the fifth inning, scoring Tucker from third base.  The inning could have been much worse. 

El Paso added three additional runs in the sixth inning,  Tucker’s bases-loaded single brough home Brandon Dixon.  Ravelo’s sacrifice fly then plated Rivas.  Lopes then scored on a fielder’s choice. 

The Express added two runs in the final two innings.  Jonathan Ornelas’s double scored Matt Whatley in the eighth inning, and Josh Sale’s single plated Hernandez.