TL1 Corpus Christi Hooks

A Wild Win For the Hooks in Frisco

Published on June 13, 2013 under Texas League (TL1)
Corpus Christi Hooks News Release


FRISCO - Rene Garcia broke a 3-3 tie in the fourth with a three-run home run and southpaws Sergio Escalona and Patrick Urckfitz combined for five scoreless innings as the Hooks rendered an 8-5 victory over the RoughRiders Wednesday night at Dr Pepper Ballpark.

Corpus Christi (40-25) now leads Frisco (37-28) by three games with five to play in the Texas League South first-half race.

The RoughRiders drew first. Teodoro Martinez began the opening frame with a single up the middle. Jake Buchanan, who led the minors with a 0.80 ERA, then surrendered a double to Guilder Rodriguez. Brett Nicholas followed with a sac fly and Alex Buchholz cracked a two-bagger to left-center, giving Frisco a 2-0 lead.

With two away in the second, Hanser Alberto drilled a deep fly to left field. Michael Burgess tried to make an over-the-shoulder catch but the ball glanced off this glove as he slammed into the fence. George Springer, right on his heels, picked up the ball and delivered it toward the diamond. The cutoff man, Jio Mier, fired a strike to third baseman Jonathan Meyer, who tagged out Alberto trying to stretch his double into a triple.

The Hooks answered in the third. Mier reached on a fielding error by the shortstop Alberto. Garcia later worked a one-out walk and, with two away, Domingo Santana was hit by a pitch from Nick McBride. Erik Castro, who fell behind in the count 1-2, then ripped a single to center, scoring a pair. Meyer was next and added another two-out RBI with a base hit to right field.

Frisco would square the score in the third. Martinez led off the inning with a double down the left-field line and would later score on a single by Buchholz.

Garcia gave Corpus Christi a precarious lead in the fourth. His fourth home run of the year was a laser-shot onto the berm in left off reliever Arlett Mavare (1-2).

The Hooks added a two insurance runs in the seventh. Santana got it started with a double down the right-field line. A one-out single by Meyer sent him home, pushing Corpus Christi's advantage to 7-5. Following a strikeout and a wild pitch, Enrique Hernandez made it 8-5 with a chopper through the left side.

Corpus Christi went 6-for-16 with runners in scoring position.

Buchanan, who allowed two more runs in the fourth, surrendered a total of nine hits - with six going for extra bases. His ERA now sits at 1.39.

Escalona (1-1) walked a tightrope in the next two innings, allowing the first two to reach in each frame. A bases-loaded double play ended the fifth. In the sixth, a strikeout and a brilliant running catch by the second baseman Hernandez in shallow center got Escalona out of hot water.

Following a 1-2-3 seventh, Urckfitz utilized another double play to face the minimum in the eighth.

A two-out infield single kept Frisco's hope alive in the ninth. In the next at-bat, Buchholz hit a slow roller toward Hernandez who had to pull up in an effort to avoid a collision with Nicholas heading to second. With the tying run at the plate, Santana ran down a fly ball in right-center field for the final out of the game and Urckfitz's second save of the season.

This pivotal series continues Thursday night when Carlos Pimentel (7-2, 2.96) takes on the tandem of Nick Tropeano (1-4, 3.71) and Bobby Doran (6-1, 3.54). First pitch is 7:05.

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Texas League Stories from June 13, 2013


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