EL PASO, Texas – The wait is over.

El Paso Locomotive FC claimed its first victory in club history in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday night, and did so in convincing fashion with a 5-1 win against amateur side Harpos FC at Southwest University Park as Bryan Romero recorded a pair of goals and Gabriel Torres notched a goal and assist for the hosts.

Locomotive was in control for much of the contest, taking the lead in the 12th minute when Beto Avila rifled home a low near-post finish from the right side of the penalty area. Romero then struck twice before the halftime break arrived, bagging his first in the 37th minute as he rose to head home at the back post off a corner kick by Torres from the right.

Romero added his second in first-half stoppage time, again capitalizing from a corner kick from the right as the ball deflected to him inside the six-yard area for a close-range finish. Another corner kick – this time by Memo Diaz – resulted in an own goal for Locomotive’s fourth nine minutes into the second half before Torres fired home shortly before the hour-mark to make it five. While Harpos pulled a goal back through a well-taken header by Baptiste Debuire with 25 minutes to go, the hosts saw out a comfortable win.

LEXINGTON SC 5, SOUTHERN INDIANA FC 0: Alfredo Midence recorded a goal and three assists while Eliot Goldthorp had a goal and assist to lead Lexington SC to its first victory in the Open Cup as the side swept past amateur side Southern Indiana FC at Lexington SC Stadium.

Five different players found the net for Lexington with Cory Burke notching his first goal for the club in the 13th minute off a corner kick from the right by Midence that the Jamaican headed home. Midence – who last year earned USL League One’s Young Player of the Year award – picked up another assist when Goldthorp struck three minutes before halftime with a nifty run through the SIFC defense before a low finish, and the Honduran struck himself with a sharp finish from the top of the penalty area inside the opening minute of the second half.

The hosts continued added to their lead in the 53rd minute when Kentucky native Lucas Stauffer put home a far-post finish after a cross from the left by Goldthorp was clipped at the near post by Christian Volesky before Stauffer cleaned up into an open net. Braudilio Rodrigues then wrapped up the scoring with 10 minutes to play as Midence notched his third assist of the night.

MONTEREY BAY FC 4, INTERNATIONAL SAN FRANCISCO 0: Xavi Gnaulati scored a pair of goals while Alex Dixon notched two assists as Monterey Bay FC took a comfortable victory against International San Francisco at Cardinale Stadium.

Monterey Bay grabbed control of the game after only 72 seconds when Dixon sliced through the defense to the byline on the left and cut back a cross that was put home inside the six-yard area by Mobi Fehr. The visitors quickly regained their composure, but Monterey Bay doubled its lead in the 26th minute on a sweeping move upfield that saw Luke Ivanovic release into space on the right side and deliver a perfect cross to the top of the six-yard area where Gnaulati was on hand to tap home.

The 20-year-old added his second of the game in first-half stoppage time in similar fashion as Dixon delivered a clever cross from the left with the outside of his right foot for Gnaulati to finish at close range. Monterey Bay almost struck again moments later, only for Ethan Bryant’s shot to ring the crossbar, but the hosts put home a fourth through Ilijah Paul with six minutes to go to wrap up the result and passage to the Second Round.

LITTLE ROCK RANGERS 1, BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC 0: USL League Two club Little Rock Rangers earned its first victory in the Open Cup in its second entry to the tournament, upsetting Birmingham Legion FC behind a penalty kick save by Tomasz Wróblewski and a second-half goal by Caoimhin McConnell at Wildcat Stadium.

After a quiet opening, Legion got the chance to take the lead from the spot in the 24th minute when Roman Torres was fouled inside the penalty area. Luca Dourado stepped up but his shot to the bottom-right corner was saved by Wróblewski, who quickly covered up the rebound.

The Rangers then took the lead three minutes into the second half when McConnell fired home through a crowd from the top of the penalty area after a long throw-in from the left had only been half-cleared by the visitors. Birmingham attempted to find an equalizer and went close late when Tabort Etaka Preston was denied again by Wróblewski. The Rangers held firm, however, sending Legion to its earliest exit in the Open Cup in club history.