Steele Strikes to Prevent Extra Innings
June 7, 2010 - Texas League (TL1)
Corpus Christi Hooks News Release
CORPUS CHRISTI - T.J. Steele drilled a lead-off, walk-off home run to left field as Corpus Christi beat Arkansas 4-3 Monday night at Whataburger Field before 5,670.
Steele took Robert Fish (1-2) deep on a 1-0 pitch to give Corpus Christi the series victory. Steele made a diving catch of Alberto Rosario's sinking liner in the top of the ninth to momentarily preserve a 3-2 advantage. The next batter, Ivan Contreras, tripled home Clay Fuller to knot the contest.
Douglas Arguello struck out a season-best eight batters over seven innings and Jimmy VanOstrand contributed two RBIs for the 29-27 Hooks. Arkansas slipped to 21-33.
Arguello allowed seven hits, an earned run and a walk. Sixty-three of his 96 pitches were strikes. T.J. Burton, who blew a save opportunity in the Travelers' game-tying ninth, picked up the win and is 3-0.
Arkansas starter Tim Kiely worked six innings. His line: eight hits, two earned runs, a walk and a strikeout.
Both clubs experienced difficulty running the bases early. The Travelers had runners picked off first in each of the first two frames, Carlos Colmenares and Fuller. In the Hooks second, Jhon Florentino was caught in no man's land between third base and home on Wladimir Sutil's double, then retired 7-6-5-2.
Two innings later, Corpus Christi broke through against Tim Kiely. Koby Clemens lined a two-out single to left, stole second and motored home on VanOstrand's single the same way.
Arkansas capitalized on Hooks miscues to move ahead 2-1 during the sixth after Contreras' lead-off double over the head of left fielder J.B. Shuck. Arguello wild pitched Contreras to third and yielded an RBI single to Colmenares, who later scored when catcher Lou Santangelo sailed the ball over Clemens head at first on a dropped third strike with two out.
The Hooks responded by wresting the lead at 3-2 through six. Shuck began the surge with a double of his own and - like Contreras - advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch. Clemens hit into a fielder's choice to plate Shuck and VanOstrand belted a sacrifice fly, scoring Jon Gaston, who'd moved to third on a throwing error.
The Hooks travel to Midland for a four-game series Tuesday. Corpus Christi left-hander Tyler Lumsden (4-1) faces southpaw Ryan Edell (1-0) in the series opener Wednesday.
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Texas League Stories from June 7, 2010
- Steele Strikes to Prevent Extra Innings - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Midland Avoids Sweep, Edges Naturals - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Cards Fall to Missions, 3-0 - Springfield Cardinals
- Drillers Rained Out - Tulsa Drillers
- It's Dynamo Week - Corpus Christi Hooks
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