May 15, 2008

After scoring one run in their last three games, the Hooks pounded out 13 runs and 21 hits for a 13-10 victory in 11 innings over the San Antonio Missions at Wolff Municipal Stadium. Thursday night’s result salvages the series with San Antonio and breaks Corpus Christi’s three-game skid.

The Hooks, who squandered a nine-run lead after two, bounced back to win their fifth extra-inning game this season and move to 22-18, 4 ½ games back of front-running Frisco in the Texas League South.

Tommy Manzella broke a 10-10 tie in the 11th inning with a two-run triple to right field. Neil Jamison (1-2) allowed five consecutive hits to open the frame, including a singles by Ray Sadler and Drew Sutton. Sadler and Sutton both rode home on Manzella’s third three-bagger of the season. Chris Johnson added an insurance run in the following at-bat with an RBI single to center.

Jose Oyervidez (1-1) earned the victory after tossing two perfect innings. He struck out three and did not walk a batter

The Hooks made up for three days of offensive frustration with a three-run first inning. Sutton belted a 1-1 pitch from Mike Ekstrom over the center field wall to lead off the frame. Billy Hart followed two outs later with his third long ball of the season, a two-run shot to left field.

Corpus Christi erupted for six runs in the second. Eli Iorg and Lou Santangelo opened the inning with a single and double, respectively. Hooks starter Chance Douglass then chopped a single up the middle for a 4-0 advantage.

After walking Sutton, Ekstrom struck out Manzella, but yielded a sharp liner off the bat of Johnson, plating Santangelo to put Corpus Christi up by five. Rob Cosby then provided the big blow, a three-run double into the left-field corner. Hart made it 9-0 with a line single to center in the next at-bat.

Ekstrom exited after yielding nine runs and seven hits in 1.1 innings of work.

The Missions (19-20) countered with two runs off Douglass in their half of the second. With one away and the bases loaded, Sean Kazmar singled on a line drive to left for San Antonio’s first run. Reliever Lee Gwaltney then scratched out an RBI grounder to Douglass for 9-2 score.

That seven-run Corpus Christi lead was cut to two thanks to a five-run San Antonio fourth. Douglass surrendered a lead-off homer to Seth Johnston and back-to-back singles by Craig Cooper and Kazmar. One out later, Mike Baxter belted a triple to center field, making it 9-4.

After a sacrifice fly by Brett Dowdy, Chad Huffman went deep for the fourth time this season, chasing Douglass from the game. Douglass was charged with seven runs off 10 hits over 3.2 innings.

The clubs traded runs in the sixth and seventh. Hooks reliever Ryan McKeller worked around a lead-off pinch-hit double in the sixth, but issued a walk to Colt Morton with the bases loaded, pulling the Missions within a run.

Sutton answered in the following frame with a solo shot bound for center field. His second home run of the night marked his fifth of the season.

San Antonio squared the score in the eighth against closer Sammy Gervacio. With one out and runners at second and third, Kyle Blanks lifted a sacrifice fly to right field for the Missions’ ninth run. Morton tied the game in the next at-bat with a line single to left.

Corpus Christi opens a four-game set at Midland Friday night. Brad James (4-2) takes on the RockHounds’ Henry Rodriguez (1-3).

-Matt Hicks