Robinson’s homer lifts Round Rock

Club playing series as ‘Jackalopes’ as part of promotion.

Drew Robinson’s two-run homer in the seventh inning lifted Round Rock to a 3-2 victory over New Orleans in a Pacific Coast league game Thursday night at Dell Diamond.

Round Rock is playing as the Jackalopes instead of the Express as part of a promotion called“What Could Have Been Weekend.” The team considered Jackalopes as a nickname when it was founded in 2000, and is giving a nod to that past with different jerseys and caps.

Adam Loewen (1-0) got the win in relief, and Drew Steckenrider (0-1) suffered the blown save and the loss.

Jackalopes starter Allen Webster went five innings and allowed one run on four hits, striking out seven but walking four.

For New Orleans, Steve Lombardozzi was a triple short of the cycle. He gave the Baby Cakes the lead in the top of the first with a home run.

Round Rock responded in the bottom of the third with a home run by Will Middlebrooks, who returned to action after 6½ weeks recovering from a broken left hand. Middlebrooks was batting .313 with four homers and 14 RBIs in 12 games before the injury.

A single, a walk and pair of wild pitches by Loewen helped New Orleans go up 2-1 in the top of the seventh. But in the bottom half, Preston Beck singled and Robinson lined a pitch onto the right field berm.

Preston Claiborne pitched two scoreless innings for his eighth save of the season. He got Tomas Telis to ground out with runners on second and third to end the game.