A five-run seventh inning lifted the Corpus Christi Hooks to a 6-3 victory over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Tuesday night before an announced crowd of 3,738 fans at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale.
Trailing 3-1 going into the seventh, the Hooks sent their entire order to the plate, scoring five runs on five hits off Naturals relievers J.C. Sulbaran and Matt Ridings.
Corpus Christi’s Jonathan Meyer opened the inning with a double to left-center field and moved to third on a wild pitch by Sulbaran. After Erik Castro walked, Enrique Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Meyer to make it 3-2. Michael Burgess followed with a single through the hole at second, moving Castro to second and bringing Ridings to the mound.
Ridings gave up a single to Zach Johnson to load the bases. Ben Orloff singled to left-center to score Castro and Burgess to put the Hooks up 4-3 as Johnson moved to third and Orloff advanced to second on the throw. Rene Garcia singled to left-center to score Johnson and Orloff to make it 6-3.
The Hooks missed a chance to add to it when when two wild pitches by Ridings allowed Garcia to move to third, but George Springer lined out to second and Domingto Santana struck out to end the inning.
The Naturals had a chance to rally in the eighth when Orlando Calixte doubled to right and stole third, but Yem Prades struck out.
The Naturals scored in the first when Brett Eibner singled to right, advanced to second on interference by the first baseman Castro, moved to third on Calixte’s base hit and scored when Rey Navarro grounded into a double play to make it 1-0.
The Naturals made it 2-0 in the fifth when Manny Pina homered to left.
The Hooks closed to 2-1 in the sixth with Michael Burgess’ home run to left.
The Naturals went ahead 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth when Calixte amd Navarro singled and Calixte scored on a throwing error by the pitcher Michael Foltynewicz when trying to pick off Navarro.
Foltynewicz (1-0) pitched 4 innings in relief of starter David Martinez to get the victory. He allowed 1 run on 3 hits while striking out 6 and walking 1. Sulbaran (0-3) took the loss for the Naturals, giving up 3 runs on 3 hits while walking 1.
Garcia, Meyer and Burgess all had two hits for the Hooks with Burgess supplying his seventh home run of the season. Calixte led the Naturals by going 3 for 4 and scoring 1 run. Eibner went 2 for 4 and scored 1 run.
TRAVELERS 8, MISSIONS 4
Coming off a road trip in which they lost five of six games, and facing the best pitching team in the Texas League, the Arkansas Travelers were down four runs after San Antonio’s Kalian Sams hit a grand slam over wall in left field on Manny Correa’s 11th pitch.
Correa didn’t allow another run, though, as the Travs scored two runs in the second inning, five more in the sixth and added one in the eighth for a victory at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
It came after the Travs took a 12-hour bus ride home following a 14-4 loss at Corpus Christi - their second-worst loss of the season - and their six-game homestand began with the first four Missions batters scoring.
Sports, Pages 15 on 05/29/2013