June 19, 2009

FRISCO, Texas – Frisco pitchers limited the Hooks to a run on eight hits in Friday’s doubleheader, sweeping Corpus Christi 3-0 and 3-1 and in the process knocking the Hooks out of first-half contention in the Texas League South.

The RoughRiders took the opener 3-0 behind the pitching of Jared Hyatt and Thomas Diamond. Hyatt (2-4) blanked the Hooks over six frames, allowing just two singles and a walk while striking out four. Diamond issued a walk to open the seventh but retired the next three batters for his first save since the 2004 season.

Manny Pina’s sacrifice fly in the first plated Craig Gentry for the only run that Frisco needed. The Riders tacked on two more runs in the second on Renny Osuna’s RBI single and Gentry’s fielder’s choice RBI.

Brad James, pitching on his 25th birthday, suffered the complete-game loss. He gave up three runs, two earned, on five hits over six innings. James (2-5) struck out four and did not issue a walk in an economical 59-pitch effort.

Game two featured sharp pitching by both starters. Frisco’s Tanner Roark carried a shutout into the sixth, while Corpus Christi’s Andy Van Hekken was one pitch away from a shutout through five.

With two on and two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Van Hekken (2-2) threw a 3-2 fastball to Chad Tracy that was a borderline ball four, loading the bases for Tim Smith. Smith clubbed the first pitch to deep right for a double that Drew Locke just missed at the edge of the warning track, sending everyone home for a 3-0 Frisco lead.

Locke retrieved one of those runs when he blistered a line drive onto the berm in left in the top of the sixth for his 11th homer and a 3-1 score. Locke’s blast ended Corpus Christi’s longest home run drought of the season at eight games.

The run was the only blemish for Roark (1-0), who scattered five hits through six innings while striking out three. Beau Vaughan worked the seventh to get a save in his Frisco debut.

Hooks second baseman Drew Meyer went 1-for-3 with a single in each game, extending his consecutive game on-base streak to 21.

Gentry, who was hit by James’ first pitch, saw his consecutive game on-base streak end at 30 when he went 0-for-4 in the nightcap. He’s tied with teammate Justin Smoak for the longest on-base streak in the Texas League this season.

Lefty Polin Trinidad (6-4, 3.53) toes the slab for the Hooks when the two clubs battle again Saturday night at 7:05. Blake Beavan (0-0, 8.44) gets the call for Frisco.

--CC Hooks