June 24, 2009

CORPUS CHRISTI – Jimmy Van Ostrand’s eighth-inning, one-out bouncer over the second-base bag scored Collin DeLome from the keystone to give Corpus Christi a 1-0 win over San Antonio Wednesday night at Whataburger Field.

The Hooks are 1-0 in the second half of Texas League play, the Missions 0-1.

Van Ostrand’s pinch-hit spoiled an outstanding pitching performance by Stephen Faris (3-9), who worked his first complete game of the season. Faris allowed five hits, walked two and struck out one. He retired 11 consecutive batters from the second to the fifth.

DeLome opened the eighth with an infield single and was sacrificed to second by Mitch Einertson.

Corpus Christi starter Brad James allowed six hits over six innings and fanned six. He extricated himself from a bases-loaded dilemma in the sixth by getting Jesus Lopez to ground into a fielder’s choice after singles by Brian Joynt, Seth Johnston and Anthony Contreras.

Erick Abreu (1-0) found himself in trouble two frames later with Joynt’s lead-off double to left-center and a Johnston single. Abreu sandwiched a soft line-out off Contreras’ bat with strikeouts of Michael Collins and Lopez to stem the threat.

T.J. Burton notched his ninth save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Wladimir Sutil’s two hits led Corpus Christi. Joynt had three hits for the visitors.

It’s a match-up of aces Thursday night at 7:05 as Hooks lefty Polin Trinidad (6-5) meets Mat Latos (4-1) in the series finale.

--CC Hooks