Express Struggle Early, Drop Final Game 7-1 to Chihuahuas

A challenging first inning set the tone for the Round Rock Express (32-35) last night, as they succumbed to the El Paso Chihuahuas (35-32) with a 7-1 defeat, resulting in a split of the six-game series. The Express offense struggled to find its rhythm against a dominant Chihuahuas pitching performance.

El Paso wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as Clay Dungan led off the contest with a solo home run to left field. The early momentum swung further in the Chihuahuas’ favor when Trevor Hauver unfortunately crashed into the left field wall while chasing Mason McCoy’s double, forcing Hauver to exit the game. McCoy subsequently scored on a single from Nate Mondou. Yonathan Perlaza then capitalized on a walk, Mondou’s single, a Tim Locastro groundout, and a passed ball to round the bases, extending El Paso’s lead to 3-0 by the end of the first inning.

The Express managed to get on the board in the bottom of the second. Kellen Strahm and Michael Helman hit back-to-back doubles, trimming the Chihuahuas’ advantage to 3-1. However, El Paso continued to chip away, with Perlaza scoring again in the third on a sacrifice fly from Locastro, making it 4-1. McCoy added another run in the fifth, scoring on a single by Mondou to push the lead to 5-1.

The Chihuahuas solidified their victory in the top of the ninth inning, tacking on two more runs. San Diego rehabber Jason Heyward doubled to score McCoy, then completed his journey around the bases on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly from Mondou, sealing the 7-1 final score.