RoughRiders Split Series In Corpus Christi
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CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS – The RoughRiders led by ten runs twice but just scraped by the Corpus Christi Hooks with an 11-10 win at Whataburger Field on Sunday night. Ryan Strausborger blasted a home run in the seventh that proved to be the difference and made a game-saving throw to the plate in the ninth.
After the first inning, it seemed that the rest of the game was simply a formality. The RoughRiders (13-17, 52-48) jumped all over Corpus Christi spot-starter Matt Heidenreich. He faced eight batters and retired only one. Carlos Quevedo retired the first two he faced to get out of the inning, but the ‘Riders had taken a 6-0 lead on three singles, two walks and two hit batters after the first half inning.
Frisco added four more runs in the second inning. Brett Nicholas brought home a run on his third triple of the season, and with one out, Chih-Hsien Chiang knocked an RBI single. Next up, Zach Zaneski launched his fifth home run of the season, a two-run blast to left, to up the lead to 10-0.
The Hooks (15-14, 57-42) got on the board in the fourth. Erik Castro hit his 13th home run of
the season and sixth against the ‘Riders, a solo shot, to make it 10-1. Both teams went quietly in the fifth, and Ryan Strausborger added an insurance run in the sixth with a home run, his second of three hits in the ballgame. It would end up being much more than simple insurance.
Frisco starter Kevin Pucetas allowed just three hits over the first five innings, but ran into a wall in the sixth. Four of the first five against him reached, and his night ended on a two-run double by Enrique Hernandez that cut the ‘Riders lead to 11-4. Kyle McClellan allowed three more to score, two to his ledger, before the six-run inning finally came to a close.
With the score 10-7, McClellan allowed another run in the seventh on Max Stassi’s second home run of the series. Hernandez homered on the first pitch he saw from Jimmy Reyes in the eighth, and entering the ninth, the score was 11-9 RoughRiders.
Frisco was set down in order in the top half of the final frame, and they brought on Lisalverto Bonilla to close the door on the Hooks. Preston Tucker and Jonathan Meyer led off with singles. Erik Castro put the tying runs in scoring position, moving them over on a sacrifice bunt. With one out, Stassi came up to the dish; he came through with a single to center. One run scored, but Strausborger threw a strike home from center field to gun down Meyer at home plate, who was attempting to score the game-tying run. Bonilla allowed another single but then induced a foul popout to end the ballgame.
Having never surrendered the lead, Frisco helped Pucetas (10-7) to the win. He tossed 5.1 innings, allowed five runs and seven hits with four walks and a couple strikeouts. Heidenreich (4-4), who retired just one batter, took the loss with six earned runs to his line. Bonilla earned his first Texas League save.
The RoughRiders open a series in their shortest home stand of the year against the Midland RockHounds on Monday night at 7:05 p.m. at Dr Pepper Ballpark. Rangers rehabber Colby Lewis (0-0, 10.80 ERA) makes his second rehab start of his assignment, pitching for the RoughRiders. Midland will counter with Murphy Smith (7-7, 3.33 ERA). Fans can tune in to the play-by-play broadcast on www.RidersBaseball.com beginning at 6:40.
