Hooks Sweep Wranglers
July 6, 2007 - Texas League (TL1)
Corpus Christi Hooks News Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Center fielder Josh Flores and shortstop Tommy Manzella keyed an outstanding defensive effort and J.R. Towles drove in two runs to lead the Corpus Christi Hooks past Wichita 6-4 in the first game of a Texas League doubleheader Friday.
The Hooks won the nightcap, 1-0, for their sixth straight victory. They are 9-6 in the second half of the Texas League season. Wichita stands 6-9.
The Hooks took a 2-0 first-inning lead in the opener. Flores drew a lead-off walk before Drew Sutton's RBI double to the left-field corner. Sutton scored one out later on the front end of a double steal with Noochie Varner, who'd reached on a walk.
Corpus Christi added a run in the second. Lou Santangelo opened with a double, moved to second on a groundout by Neil Sellers and scored on Manzella's bloop single to right.
Wichita drew to within a run two innings later. RBI singles by Jeff Nettles and Mike Gaffney plated Irving Falu and Kila Kaaihue, respectively.
The Hooks immediately responded with two runs to go up 5-2. They loaded the bases before Towles' one-out single scored Sellers and Manzella. Wichita averted further damage when Geraldo Valentin threw Sutton out as he attempted to score from third on Varner's fly out to right.
The Wranglers again pulled to within a run in the fifth. Adam Greenberg raced home on an error and Kaaihue's single scored Falu. Greenberg and Falu drew one-out walks off Hooks starter Felipe Paulino, who then gave up singles to Valentin and Kaaihue before exiting. Paulino was touched for four runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out three.
Ryan Thompson (3-3) worked 1 2/3 innings, retiring five of the six batters he faced. Kyle Middleton earned his 13th save.
Corpus Christi upped its advantage to 6-4 in the fifth on Sellers' second hit of the game, a single to left. Jonny Ash set the stage with a lead-off walk and advanced to third on ground outs by Ray Sadler and Santangelo.
Wrangler starter Carlos Rosa (3-6) absorbed the loss. He permitted three runs and five hits in only three innings. Reliever Juan Cedeno also surrendered three runs in three innings.
Flores made a running catch of Damaso Espino's liner to left-center in the second and dove to come up with Onil Joseph's sinking liner in the sixth. Manzella went deep in the hole at short before throwing out Jake Blalock at first to save a run in the fourth.
In the second game, Danny Christensen matched zeroes with Hooks spot starter German Melendez (4-1) for five innings before giving way to Jason Cromer (2-6). Christensen allowed five hits, walked two and struck out four. Melendez gave up just two hits over six innings and fanned four.
The Hooks finally broke through on Seller's RBI single. Sadler began the sixth with a single up the middle and was sacrificed to second by Ash. Sellers stroked Cromer's 2-2 offering down the right-field line to finish 5-for-6 in the doubleheader.
Middleton worked the seventh for his second save of the evening and 14th overall.
Texas League Stories from July 6, 2007
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