Alex Winkelman pitched 8 2/3 innings of no-hit baseball as Corpus Christi blanked Frisco 6-0 Wednesday night at Whataburger Field before 5,139.
Back out for the ninth with a pitch count of 94, Winkelman (1-5) retired Michael De Leon and Scott Heineman on fly balls to the outfield before Andy Ibanez spoiled his bid for the first individual nine-inning no-hit game in Hooks history. Ibanez slapped a 1-1 pitch up the middle for the lone RoughRiders hit of the night.
Winkelman, who ultimately threw 106 pitches (71 strikes) walked two and fanned six. Jose Cardona and Luke Tendler drew a base-on-balls in the second and fourth innings, respectively.
While Winkelman was authoring his masterpiece, counterpart Collin Wiles (7-7) was one-hitting Corpus Christi over the first five innings.
The Hooks broke through against the big right-hander in the sixth. Singles from lead-off man Ramon Laureano and newcomer Ryne Birk set the stage for Jack Mayfield’s 12th home run, a 327-foot shot to left on the first pitch he saw. Birk’s first Double-A hit was lined into right field.
Wiles, who completed the frame before Connor Sadzeck came on, permitted four hits, a walk, and struck out nine.
Jason Martin, Corpus Christi’s first hitter of the seventh, took a 2-0 Sadzeck 97-mph offering 410 feet to left for his seventh homer as a Hook. The next inning, Dexture McCall extended the Hooks’ lead to 6-0 vs. Cody Palmquist with his third round-tripper in three nights, Garrett Stubbs aboard via a one-out walk.
The lone no-hitter in Hooks annals came in a rain-shortened, 5 1/3-inning combined effort by Chris Devenski and Josh Hader on May 29, 2015 in a 4-0 triumph at Arkansas.
The Hooks travel to Midland for four with the RockHounds Thursday through Sunday.