TL1 Corpus Christi Hooks

Hounds Rally to Win Series Opener

Published on July 15, 2008 under Texas League (TL1)
Corpus Christi Hooks News Release


MIDLAND, Texas - The RockHounds rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to edge the Hooks 4-3 Monday night at Citibank Ballpark in the opener of this four-game series.

The top of the Corpus Christi order provided the early lead for the Hooks. Singles by Drew Sutton and Jarred Ball put runners at first and third to start the game. Chris Johnson followed with a sacrifice fly to the warning track in right to plate Sutton to give the Hooks a 1-0 advantage.

Sutton was at it again in the third. He pulled his league-leading 29th double of the season into the right field corner to start the frame. Walks to Ball and Johnson loaded the bases for Ole Sheldon, who bounced into a 6-4-3 double play. Sutton scored on the play to make it 2-0. Rob Cosby followed with a wicked bad-hop smash past third baseman Myron Leslie to bring Ball in from third to give the Hooks a 3-0 lead.

Missed opportunities marked the rest of the game for Corpus Christi's offense. The Hooks left the bases loaded in that third inning, then loaded the sacks again in the fourth and didn't score. For the game, the Hooks stranded 11 base runners.

Midland capitalized on Corpus Christi's missed chances. With two out and nobody on in the fourth, Aaron Cunningham doubled down the left field line and Tommy Everidge drew a walk. Sean Doolittle pounded a 3-2 pitch high off the wall in left for a two-run double to put the RockHounds on the board.

The home team tallied the tying and winning run in the sixth, again with two out and nobody on. Cunningham singled and went to second on a walk by Everidge. Doolittle hit a slow, spinning grounder toward second, where Sutton fielded the ball and attempted to flick it out of his glove to shortstop Wladimir covering the bag. Sutton's flip was a little high, and Sutil was not able to pull it down for the force on Everidge. The ball went past Sutil and Cunningham scored from second to knot the score at 3. Jon Zeringue followed with a line drive single to left to get Everidge home for a 4-3 Midland lead.

All of Midland's runs came against Hooks' starter Chance Douglass (4-8), who allowed five hits and three walks in his 5.2 innings of work while striking out three. The decisive runs in the sixth were unearned.

Andy Shipman (2-2) tossed an inning of shutout relief in the sixth to get the win. Andrew Carignan walked Ball to begin the ninth but stranded him at third to preserve the win and notch his 13th save.

Ball extended his hitting streak to 14 games, the second longest this season for a Corpus Christi player. Sutton, who finished with three hits, extended his streak to 10 games.

The two clubs play again Tuesday night at 7:00. A marquee pitching match-up is on tap, as lefty Polin Trinidad (3-2), back from New York and his successful appearance in the XM All-Star Futures Game, goes up against Midland's Vince Mazzaro (8-3), who leads the Texas League with his 2.26 ERA.

Check out the Corpus Christi Hooks Statistics

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Texas League Stories from July 15, 2008


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