Comets blast five-run first, top Express 7-3 in series opener

Oklahoma City turned Tuesday night at Dell Diamond into a one-inning command performance. The Comets scored five times in the first and never let Round Rock recover, rolling to a 7-3 win that snapped a season-high four-game losing streak and gave Oklahoma City its fifth straight series-opening victory.

The damage came fast. Ryan Ward opened the scoring with a two-run homer, then Jack Suwinski followed with a three-run shot to right-center field before the home crowd had settled in. By the time the inning ended, Oklahoma City led 5-0 and had already forced Round Rock into catch-up mode in a game that felt decided almost immediately.

That early burst shaped everything that followed. Oklahoma City added another run in the second on a balk to stretch the lead to 6-0, and Round Rock answered with its best push of the night in the bottom half. Nick Pratto’s two-run homer highlighted a three-run inning that trimmed the gap to 6-3, but the Express never pulled any closer. Nick Senzel drew a bases-loaded walk in the fifth to restore a four-run cushion, and the final four innings turned into a grind, with the clubs combining for no runs and only two hits.

James Tibbs III helped keep the pressure on throughout, going 3-for-4 with two doubles. Over his last seven games, Tibbs has gone 9-for-22 with six extra-base hits, and his line-drive night gave Oklahoma City another traffic source behind the power that struck first in the lineup.

The bullpen made sure the first inning held up. Oklahoma City’s relievers finished with four scoreless frames, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out nine. Paul Gervase, Chayce McDermott and Jerming Rosario retired 12 of the final 13 Round Rock batters, and the Comets’ staff matched its season high with 13 strikeouts.

The result continued Oklahoma City’s recent edge in the matchup. The Comets have won four straight against Round Rock and are now 5-2 against the Express this season, a run that has featured everything from a 1-0 shutout on April 10 to a 10-9 thriller on April 11. Ward’s April surge, with five homers and 21 RBI across 20 games, has been central to that success, while Suwinski’s back-to-back homers added another reminder of how quickly Oklahoma City can bury a game at the top of the order.