July 18, 2008

CORPUS CHRISTI – Neftali Feliz struck out eight and allowed one hit over six innings as Frisco edged Corpus Christi 2-1 Friday before 7,781 at Whataburger Field.

The RoughRiders improved to 18-9 in the second half of Texas League play. The Hooks are 10-17.

Feliz (2-0) beat Corpus Christi for the second time in seven days. He was the winning pitcher in Frisco’s 7-2 triumph at Whataburger Field last Saturday.

Friday, Feliz walked Richie Paz twice allowed a two-out single to Chris Johnson in the fourth. Thanks to double plays in the second and fifth innings, he faced just one over the minimum. The 20-year-old right-hander from Azua in the Dominican Republic threw 84 pitches, 54 for strikes.

J.B. Diaz pitched a scoreless seventh and Brennan Garr picked up his fifth save despite losing a shutout in the ninth. Garr surrendered a one-out, eighth-inning double to Billy Hart and a Johnson RBI single the next inning.

Casey Hudspeth (1-1) matched zeros with Feliz for five frames. Elvis Andrus scored the game’s first run by drawing a walk, stealing second, advancing to third on a throwing error by Hooks catcher Jose Lopez and home when Jose Vallejo laced a single to left field. Andrus and Vallejo also manufactured Frisco’s second run in the eighth off Jose Oyervidez. Andrus laid down a bunt single and was sacrificed to second by Vallejo before stealing third and scooting home on a wild pitch.

Hudspeth exited after six innings and four hits, three walks and four strikeouts.

Julio Borbon led the RoughRiders with three hits.

The teams meet Saturday at 7:05 with Frisco’s Jared Hyatt (1-0 at Triple-A Oklahoma) meeting Chance Douglass (4-8).

-Matt Hicks