June 22, 2009

San Antonio scored three times in the 10th inning Monday night to finish a wild 12-10 come-from-behind victory over the Hooks at Whataburger Field.

The Missions (38-31) remain one game ahead of Midland for first place in the Texas League South with one remaining in the first half.

With the score tied at nine in the 10th, Corpus Christi reliever Chris Salamida surrendered a lead-off single to centerfield by Kellen Kulbacki. Brian Joynt followed with a single to right, putting runners at first and second. Mitch Canham then singled through right side, giving Kulbacki a chance to score from second. Kulbacki pulled up injured rounding third base and was out easily at home plate thanks to an outfield assist by Mitch Einertson. Joynt moved to third on the play.

San Antonio closer Evan Scribner, in his first pro plate appearance, coaxed a walk in the next at-bat to load the bases. Salamida (1-2) then uncorked a wild pitch against Anthony Contreras to score the go-ahead run. Contreras made it 11-9 Missions on a squeeze bunt back to the pitcher. Cedric Hunter capped the scoring with and RBI single to center.

The Hooks (31-38) jumped on San Antonio starter Nathan Culp for nine runs and 12 hits in four-plus innings.

Drew Meyer hit a solo home run to left-center in the first, his third long ball of the year. Corpus Christi added four runs in the second thanks to a two-run single by starting pitcher Casey Hudspeth, a sacrifice fly from Meyer and an RBI single of the bat off Drew Locke. Meyer has now reached safely in 27 of his last 30 games.

The Missions battled back for a pair of runs in the fourth, making the score 5-3 Corpus Christi after four. In the fifth, San Antonio loaded the bases against Hudspeth to start the frame and Lance Zawadzki crushed a home run into the wind and over the right-field fence for a grand slam, giving San Antonio a 7-5 advantage.

Solo home runs by Jimmy Van Ostrand and Jason Castro, his first at the Double-A level, ignited a four-run frame that pulled the Hooks ahead 9-7. Castro has now hit safely in all 11 games with Corpus Christi, extending his personal hitting streak to 16.

San Antonio used six relief pitchers to hold the Hooks to an unearned run over the game’s final six frames. Evan Scribner (4-1) pitched the final two frames to preserve the victory.

The series continues Tuesday night when Wilton Lopez (1-1) takes on the Missions’ Ernesto Frieri (7-3).

--CC Hooks