Cardinals Top Hooks, 6-5, Before 7,001 Fans
Published on June 26, 2014 under Texas League (TL1)
Springfield Cardinals News Release
Springfield, MO - With a sellout crowd of 7,001 fans packing Hammons Field, the Springfield Cardinals beat the Corpus Christi Hooks, 6-5, on Thursday night. All-Star 1B Jonathan Rodriguez belted two home runs in the win.
The Hooks (3-5, 37-41) opened an early advantage in the opening frame with two tallies in the top of the first against RHP Mike Mayers (W, 1-1). 2B Tony Kemp led off with a base hit, before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt from LF Ruben Sosa. CF Andrew Aplin then lined a two-run home run inside the right field foul pole, swinging the Hooks ahead, 2-0.
The Cardinals (4-4, 38-40) came right back in the bottom of the second against RHP Jordan Jankowski (L, 1-3). With one down, RF Curt Smith placed an infield single inside the third base line to get to first base. 3B Patrick Wisdom came up next and crushed a mammoth two-run homer, his ninth of the year, to left-center field, evening things out at 2-2.
Springfield kept swinging away in the bottom of the third. With one away and the bases clear, LF Mike O'Neill sliced a double to left field. SS Aledmys Diaz followed suit with an RBI double of his own, bringing in O'Neill for the go-ahead run. After a groundout, Rodriguez then launched a two-run home run to left-center field, increasing the new advantage to 5-2.
Rodriguez and the Cardinals struck again in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one down and the bases clear, the All-Star first baseman belted a solo home run to center field, his second of the game and eighth of the year, propelling Springfield to the 6-2 lead.
Mayers kept the Hooks bats at bay through the remainder of his seven innings, allowing only the two first-inning runs on five hits while striking out two. RHP Chris Thomas then dealt a 1-2-3 top of the eighth, before LHP Lee Stoppelman took over for the ninth.
The Hooks, though, refused to go down quietly in the final frame. LF Ruben Sosa led off with a base hit, before Aplin struck with another two-run home run. One out later, pinch-hitting INF Carlos Perdomo reached on a single. He took second on defensive difference, before moving to third on a wild pitch. After a pop out and a walk, SS Jio Mier hit a grounder to third that looked like it was going to be the final out. However, the ball skipped by 3B Patrick Wisdom with the error keeping the game alive and enabling Perdomo to come home. Stoppelman, though, rebounded with a game-ending strikeout to 1B Telvin Nash, closing the Cardinals 6-5 win.
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