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TL1 Corpus Christi Hooks

Fixler Thrashes Frisco

September 2, 2009 - Texas League (TL1)
Corpus Christi Hooks News Release


FRISCO, Texas - With starting catcher Jason Castro on the way to join Team USA for the upcoming IBAF World Cup, Jonathan Fixler assumed Castro's spot behind the plate and in the lineup as Corpus Christi's cleanup hitter Tuesday night.

Talk about making the most of one's opportunity.

Fixler clubbed two home runs and knocked in four to lead the Hooks to a 6-1 win over the RoughRiders in the opener of this four-game series.

Castro and Jimmy Van Ostrand, a member of Canada's team in the World Cup, played their last games with the Hooks Monday in San Antonio. Drew Locke, the club's All-Star right fielder, is unavailable for the final week of the season after sustaining a broken bone in his left hand in Sunday's game against the Missions.

With the heart of the order gone, Tuesday's lineup, which also featured outfielder Brandon Barnes making his Double-A debut, looked like a patchwork quilt. Fixler, batting cleanup for the first time this year, turned it into a down comforter.

Wladimir Sutil drew a walk to start the game. Collin DeLome followed with a triple to the warning track in left-center to give the Hooks a 1-0 lead. Jhon Florentino struck out, but Fixler brought DeLome in with a solid single to left.

In the third, spot starter Andrew Laughter (3-2) retired DeLome and Florentino, but failed to get an 0-1 pitch past Fixler. Instead, Fixler crushed the offering to the top of the berm in left to make it 3-0 Corpus Christi.

With the Hooks ahead 3-1, Nick Moresi opened the fifth with a double to right-center. Sutil's attempt at a bunt resulted in a pop up, but DeLome plated Moresi with a single to give the Hooks a 4-1 edge.

DeLome was out trying to steal second and Florentino followed with a single to left. That brought Fixler to the dish, and he hammered Brennan Garr's first pitch into the second row of box seats above the left field wall for a 6-1 score.

Fixler's two-homer night was his second this season. Fixler also went yard twice on May 31 in an 8-2 win over Springfield at Whataburger Field. Van Ostrand (twice) and Locke are the only other Hooks with multi-homer games this season.

Tyler Lumsden and Chia-Jen Lo took care of business on the hill. Lumsden (2-3) allowed just one unearned run on five hits and four walks over five innings. Lo earned his second save with four shutout frames of relief. The outing was Lo's longest of the year.

Game two of the series takes place Wednesday night at 7:05. Southpaw Fernando Abad (0-1, 4.50) makes his second start for the Hooks in a matchup against Frisco lefty Michael Kirkman (5-7, 4.52).

Notes - Barnes, called up from Class-A Lancaster, started in right field and batted seventh in the order Tuesday. He went 1-for-4, leading off the ninth with a single. Playing for both Lancaster and Lexington this season, Barnes has 17 home runs and 77 RBI's.

Catcher Jose Lopez was also activated for the Hooks Tuesday. Lopez, who played 39 games for the Hooks last year, is on the mend from surgery for an aneurysm, which was discovered in early March just before Lopez was scheduled to leave Venezuela for Spring Training in Florida. Lopez did not play Tuesday night.

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