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TL1 San Antonio Missions

Missions let early lead, game slip away

August 31, 2009 - Texas League (TL1)
San Antonio Missions News Release


After struggling to find some offensive support over the last few games, the Missions' five-run first inning Sunday night was a welcome sight. However, it all went downhill from there, as Corpus Christi came roaring back to score 11 runs and take a sloppy 11-10 victory in front of 4,734 at Wolff Stadium.

Corpus Christi scored 10 of their 11 runs between the second and fourth innings, pounding Missions starter Cory Luebke. Luebke lasted just 3.0 innings, allowing six earned runs on six hits and three walks, striking out two in his final tune-up before joining Team USA for the World Cup.

He fared slightly better than his counterpart, Hooks starter Kenny Baugh, who lasted just 2.0 innings, yielding seven runs on six hits and three walks, leaving the game with the bases loaded in the top of the third before recording an out in the frame. Neither pitcher factored in the decision, as the game featured four ties and three lead changes.

"That was the worst game of the year for me," said Missions skipper Terry Kennedy. "Only one time in four innings (after the Missions had scored) did a pitcher throw up a zero on the board."

The Hooks scored the final run of the game, breaking a 10-10 tie in the eighth, on two miscues by second baseman Eric Sogard. Mark Ori singled to lead off the inning, and Jason Castro followed with a grounder to Sogard. When Ori stopped in the basepath, Sogard elected to throw to first, and Ori escaped the rundown, sliding safely into second base. Jimmy Van Ostrand followed with a grounder to Sogard's right that went under his mitt and through his legs into center field, scoring Ori with what proved to be the game-winning run.

The final five runs scored by the Hooks were all unearned, thanks to three Missions errors.

The five-run deficit overcome was the largest by an opponent against the Missions this year. The previous high had been a four-run margin, as the Missions blew a 10-6 lead and lost 11-1o at Northwest Arkansas on July 11.

The Missions sent 10 men to the plate in the opening frame and scored five times to take the early 5-0 lead. Sogard led off with a walk and moved to second on Luis Durango's walk. One out later, Craig Cooper singled home Sogard, and Sawyer Carroll followed with a ringing three-run home run to left. Lance Zawadzki doubled and scored two batters later on a Cedric Hunter single to cap the scoring.

Corpus Christi struck back immediately for four runs in the next half-inning against Missions starter Luebke. They added a pair more in the third and four more- all unearned- in the fourth off reliever Stephen Faris.

Zawadzki and Hunter each collected three-hit games for the Missions, who saw all eight position players hit safely. That was not nearly impressive as the Hooks' balance in the lineup, as each of their starting eight scored a run.

Gabe DeHoyos (0-3) took the hard-luck loss, allowing the unearned run in the eighth. He finished with 2.0 innings of work, allowing just a single hit and a walk.

Charles Weatherby III (1-3) vultured a win for Corpus Christi, surrendering the lead in the bottom of the seventh only to watch his team move back in front the next half inning. Evan Englebrook tossed a perfect ninth with a strikeout to earn his eighth save, and his second in as many nights.

W: Weatherby III (1-3); L: DeHoyos (0-3); S: Englebrook; HR: Van Ostrand (16), Carroll (1)

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