Nester, Simpson Homer as Railroaders Complete Sweep

CLEBURNE, Tex. (June 20, 2021) – John Nester and Chase Simpson each blasted a three-run home run as the Cleburne Railroaders finished off a three-game sweep of the Houston Apollos with a 7-4 win on Sunday night at The Depot at Cleburne Station.

Batting with two runners aboard while trailing 2-1 into the bottom of the sixth, Nester ripped a line drive down the left field line that just stayed fair, putting the Railroaders (14-16) in front 4-2. Simpson added his first home run of the season in the seventh, a towering three-run shot to right that pushed the lead to 7-3.

The long balls backed up a team effort from the pitching staff, which got key performances from a pair of newcomers. Stephen Greenlees worked four innings in his first Cleburne start, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out two. Alex Fishberg (1-0) put together an excellent two relief innings to earn the win, striking out four. After Michael Krauza navigated through the seventh, newcomer Brendan Bell tossed a scoreless eighth in his professional debut. Kyle Chavez got the final two outs in the ninth to record his second save of the season.

The two teams traded runs in the first. Daniel Aldrich got the scoring started with an RBI single for Houston (4-26), while the Railroaders plated a run in the bottom of the inning on an Apollos throwing error.

Taylor Zeutenhorst sliced an opposite-field homer in the fourth to put Houston in front 2-1, but the Nester and Simpson home runs erased the deficit.

Houston starter Tucker Smith (1-1) took the loss, allowing four runs over six innings while notching a season-high eight strikeouts.

The Railroaders are off on Monday, then take to the road for a three-game series against the Winnipeg Goldeyes in Jackson, Tennessee. First pitch of Tuesday’s series opener is scheduled for 7:05 PM. 

For information on partnerships, season tickets, group outings, and party packages, call the Railroaders main office at (817) 945-8705, or visit the Railroaders official website at www.railroaderbaseball.com.