Express Walk-Off Aces in Thrilling Extra-Inning Affair

The Round Rock Express continued their flair for the dramatic on Thursday night, securing a 2-1 walk-off victory over the Reno Aces in a tense extra-inning battle. Cody Freeman’s clutch single in the bottom of the tenth inning scored Marcus Smith, sealing the Express’s eighth walk-off win and extending their remarkable extra-inning record to 7-1 on the season—both PCL bests.

The night also featured a highly anticipated rehab start for Texas Rangers’ No. 2 prospect, Kumar Rocker. The right-hander impressed, tossing 4.0 hitless and scoreless innings, striking out four and walking just one. On the other side, Reno’s Casey Kelly was equally stingy, holding the Express to four hits over 5.2 scoreless frames.

The stalemate finally broke in the top of the eighth when Reno’s Nicky Lopez singled and then scored on Jorge Barrosa’s RBI triple, giving the Aces a 1-0 lead. However, Round Rock swiftly responded in the bottom half. After loading the bases with three walks, Billy McKinney drew a fourth walk, bringing home pinch-runner Marcus Smith to tie the game at 1-1.

The game then moved into extra innings, where the Express once again showcased their composure. In the bottom of the tenth, after Dustin Harris’s sacrifice bunt moved Smith to third, Cody Freeman stepped up and delivered a sharp single to left field, sending Smith across the plate for the winning run. Freeman finished the night 3-for-5 with a double and the game-winning RBI, continuing his hot streak.

The Express bullpen also deserves credit, with Nolan Hoffman, Cory Abbott, Marc Church, and Luis Curvelo combining for seven strikeouts and leading the PCL with 294 strikeouts this year. The thrilling victory moves the Express to 26-28 on the season.