Sports stats



Midland RockHounds

World Class Travelers

April 15, 2015 - Texas League (TL1)
Midland RockHounds News Release


Chad Oberacker of the Midland RockHounds
Chad Oberacker of the Midland RockHounds
(Midland RockHounds, Credit: Frank Longobardo / Midland RockHounds)

RockHounds right fielder Chad Oberacker went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Tuesday night's 6-4 loss to the Arkansas Travelers at Security Bank Ballpark. (Frank Longobardo / Midland RockHounds)

With "chapter one" of the Texas League season now written, only one club is perfect through the first six games. After opening the year with a three-game sweep at Frisco, the Arkansas Travelers did the same at Security Bank Ballpark, defeating the RockHounds, 6-4, Tuesday night. The win was the Travelers' third straight over the 'Hounds and sixth-in-a-row overall to open the year.

Arkansas' formula through the first half-dozen games was a high on-base percentage (.409 as a team entering Tuesday's game) and effective run production. The Travs have also scored first in each of those games, and they continued that pattern in the series finalé with the RockHounds. Arkansas broke a scoreless tie with a single run in the fourth, and Sherman Johnson's two-run, two-out single in the fifth made the score 3-0.

The RockHounds rallied to tie in the sixth on Colin Walsh's bases-loaded walk and a two-run single from Chad Oberacker.

The 3-3 tie, however, was short-lived. Arkansas scored three in the seventh, keyed by RBI doubles from Eric Stamets and Chad Hinshaw.

An Oberacker double in the ninth was followed by three walks, the last of those (drawn by Matt Angle) forcing home a run, cutting the Arkansas lead to two runs. The 'Hounds had the bases loaded with two out, but Nate Hyatt struck out Chad Pinder to end the game.

Kibbles & Bits

- Arkansas' three-game sweep came by a total margin of four runs. Sunday's game ended with the Travs leading, 2-1, in the last of the sixth (due to weather) with the tying run at second and no out ... the 'Hounds erased a 6-0 first inning deficit Monday before falling, 8-7, and rallied back from 3-0 Tuesday. After winning their first two games versus Northwest Arkansas, the 'Hounds have now dropped four straight.

- "Home field advantage" was nowhere to be found in the first week of the Texas League season; of the four clubs hosting the first six games, only Tulsa broke even (3-3). Frisco and the RockHounds each went 2-4 and the Springfield Cardinals were 1-5.

- Colin Walsh extended his "two-season" on-base streak to 31 games, going 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and a walk. Colin, who is hitting .350 (7-for-20) with six walks for a .500 on-base percentage, reached base in last 25 games with the RockHounds in 2014 and has now reached in all six games this season.

- Chad Oberacker is 7-for-14 (.500) through six games, with a triple, a solo home run and a team-high eight runs batted in.

- Wednesday is a league-wide off day (and travel day). The RockHounds departed after Tuesday night's game and will begin the seasons' first road trip Thursday at Springdale, Arkansas. The road swing will include a pair of three-game series against the same two North Division clubs the 'Hounds hosted to open the year - - the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Thursday-Saturday) and the Arkansas Travelers (Sunday-Tuesday).

Pitching Matchups for Upcoming Series

Thursday: RockHounds Chris Jensen (RH, 1-0, 3.00) vs Northwest Arkansas Glenn Sparkman (RH, 0-1, 6.75)

Friday: RockHounds Tanner Peters (RH, 0-1, 9.64) vs Northwest Arkansas Jonathan Dziedzic (LH, 0-0, 1.93)

Saturday: RockHounds Jake Sanchez (RH, 0-1, 3.86) vs Northwest Arkansas Brandon Finnegan (RH, 0-0, 9.00)

Check out the Midland RockHounds Statistics




Images from this story

Chad Oberacker of the Midland RockHounds
Chad Oberacker of the Midland RockHounds
(Frank Longobardo / Midland RockHounds)		   

• Discuss this story on the Texas League message board...

Texas League Stories from April 15, 2015


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central