Hooks Outlast RockHounds
Published on June 5, 2013 under Texas League (TL1)
Corpus Christi Hooks News Release
CORPUS CHRISTI - Jake Buchanan allowed two runs in five innings and Ben Orloff went 4-for-5 as the Hooks used a relentless offensive attack to top the Midland RockHounds 9-5 in front of 4,454 fans at Whataburger Field Tuesday night.
In his first home game as a Hook in 2013 Jose Martinez had three hits, two runs scored and three runs batted in. Corpus Christi scored three runs in the second and two each in the third and fourth innings to jump out to an error-aided 7-0 lead.
Domingo Santana kick-started the scoring for the Hooks when he led off the bottom of the second inning with a base hit to centerfield. Erik Castro followed and hit a tailor-made double play ball just to the right of second base, but it scooted under RockHounds second baseman Darwin Perez's glove to put runners on the corners with no outs.
Jonathan Meyer then drew a walk off Midland starter Zach Neal (5-3) to load the bases and Michael Burgess hit a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0 Hooks. Neal walked Rene Garcia to reload the bases, and after Orloff flew out, Martinez grounded a two-run single into centerfield to give Corpus Christi an early three-run lead.
The Hooks (36-21) struck again in the third. Midland allowed Justin Maxwell, with Corpus Christi on an Astros' rehab assignment, to reach on Perez's second error of the night and Castro doubled him home. Meyer followed with a single to plate the Hooks' first baseman and make it 5-0.
Neal's struggles continued in the fourth. Orloff beat out an infield hit and moved to second on a single by Martinez. George Springer was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Maxwell who flew out to shallow right field. Santana then grounded one through the left side, scoring Orloff and Martinez for a 7-0 advantage.
The Hounds (27-30) finally broke through in the fifth. Singles by Chad Oberacker and Perez opened the frame. Appropriately, the first earned run Buchanan allowed over his last eight appearances was scored on a double play. An error by third baseman Meyer and a walk issued to Anthony Aliotti extended the inning. Former Hook Jake Goebbert followed with a sinking line drive to right for an unearned tally and a five-run Midland deficit.
Buchanan (7-0) spread seven hits and two runs, one earned, over five innings. He walked one and fanned two, throwing 51 of 76 pitches for strikes. Buchanan leads the minors with a 0.85 ERA and has induced a club-best 11 double plays.
Carlos Quevedo represented the second half of the tandem for Corpus Christi Tuesday. After a pair of shutout innings, the right-hander ran into trouble in the eighth. David Freitas and Dusty Coleman notched back-to-back singles with one out, prompting Hooks manager Keith Bodie to pull Quevedo in favor of left-hander Sergio Escalona.
Escalona got Oberacker to bounce into a fielder's choice, but walked Perez before he allowed a two-run single to Conner Crumbliss that cut the Hooks' lead to 7-4.
Corpus Christi got two runs back in the eighth off new RockHound hurler Pedro Viola. Orloff led off the frame with his fifth two-bagger of the season and scored on a Martinez single. Drew Muren singled and the Hooks executed a double steal to make it a five-run game.
Goebbert added his 10th home run of the season for Midland in the ninth inning off Kenny Long to make the final margin 9-5.
The series will continue Wednesday night when the Hooks send right-handers Nick Tropeano (1-3, 3.93) and Bobby Doran (6-1, 3.40) to the hill against Midland's Arnold Leon (2-3, 3.66). It will be Whataburger Family Day with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch.
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