NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Frisco RoughRiders return to Dickey-Stephens Park on Friday night looking to extend their winning streak to three games after edging the Arkansas Travelers 2-1 on Thursday. The victory marked Frisco’s second straight triumph over the Travelers, pushing their overall record back to .500 at 52-52 while improving to 14-22 in the second half of the Texas League season.

Thursday’s contest was a classic pitchers’ duel, with both teams struggling to string together hits. Frisco’s breakthrough came in the fourth inning when Ian Moller drove a sharp RBI single up the middle, plating Luis Mieses for the game’s first run. It was Moller’s second consecutive game with an RBI and another example of his ability to produce in clutch spots.

Davalillo Sets the Tone on the Mound

David Davalillo was masterful in his start for the RoughRiders, carrying a no-hitter through four innings while striking out six. Though he issued two walks, the right-hander kept Arkansas hitters off balance with a mix of well-located fastballs and sharp off-speed pitches.

Davalillo’s dominance gave the Riders a chance to control the pace early, a key factor against a Travelers team that entered the series with one of the Texas League’s more consistent offenses.

Travelers Draw Even, But Riders Answer Back

The Travelers (19-17, 54-51) broke through in the bottom of the seventh when catcher Nick Raposo grounded an RBI single through the left side, knotting the score at 1-1. The rally, however, was short-lived.

In the top of the eighth, Frisco capitalized on a defensive miscue. With Aaron Zavala on third base, Arkansas attempted a pickoff play, but the throw sailed away, allowing Zavala to score what would be the game-winning run.

Locking It Down Late

Reliever Joey Danielson (1-0) earned his first Double-A win, tossing a clean inning before handing the ball to Larson Kindreich for the final six outs. Kindreich recorded his second save of the season, striking out three over two scoreless innings to seal the win.

The bullpen’s performance was again a bright spot for Frisco, with Jackson Kelley also contributing two shutout frames in relief. In the past two games, Riders relievers have combined for 8.0 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just four total hits.

Notes to Know

• Frisco has now won back-to-back games for the first time since late July.

• The Riders’ pitching staff has allowed just one run over the last 20 innings of play.

• Moller continues to produce offensively, following up Wednesday’s multi-hit effort with a run-scoring single Thursday.

• Frisco improved to 9-12 in one-run games this season.

Looking Ahead: Friday Night Matchup

The RoughRiders and Travelers will continue their six-game set Friday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Dickey-Stephens Park. Frisco will send Josh Stephan (5-5, 5.11 ERA) to the mound in search of his first win since July 19. Stephan, a strikeout-heavy righty, will aim to build off his last outing in which he held Corpus Christi to two runs over five innings.

Arkansas will counter with Marcelo Perez (2-1, 3.62 ERA), who has been one of the Travelers’ most reliable arms this year. Perez has allowed two runs or fewer in six of his last eight appearances, relying on pinpoint command and a deceptive changeup to frustrate hitters.

With Frisco chasing its first three-game winning streak since early June, Friday’s game represents an opportunity to not only build momentum in the series but also to chip away at the Travelers’ edge in the standings.

Fans can catch all the action on the H-E-B Riders Baseball Network by visiting RidersBaseball.com/Broadcast.