The Corpus Christi Hooks avoided being swept by the 1st-Half North Division Champion Springfield Cardinals with a 6-3 win before 6,287 fans at Whataburger Field on Saturday night. The Cardinals claimed the series win, 2-games-to-1, and have won four of their last five games overall.
For the third straight game, the Cardinals (4-4, 45-33) struck first with an early run in the top of the first against LHP Evan Grills (W, 3-1). CF Harrison Bader started the game with a leadoff walk, before racing to third one out later on a double from RF Nick Martini. LF Luke Voit then placed an RBI groundout to short, enabling Bader to dart home from third base for the 1-0 lead for Springfield.
After a pair of scoreless innings from RHP Luke Weaver (L, 4-1), during which he struck out three, the Cardinals added to the lead in the top of the third. With two down, 3B Jonathan Rodriguez extended the inning with a double down the left field line. Martini then came through with a two-out RBI single, scoring Rodriguez to make it 2-0.
The Hooks (5-4, 52-27) rallied from behind with four unearned runs in the bottom of the third, charging in front against Weaver and the Cardinals. After a one-out walk drawn by SS Jack Mayfield, CF Derek Fisher reached on a fielding error charged to 2B Juan Herrera, putting two on with one away. DH J.D. Davis then worked a walk to load the bases, before 1B Chase McDonald drove an RBI sacrifice fly to center field, plating Mayfield to get the Hooks on the board. LF Danry Vasquez then sliced an RBI double to tie it, before a go-ahead, two-run single from 3B Nick Tanielu propelled the Hooks ahead, 4-2.
The Cardinals, though, sliced the deficit in half with one in the top of the fifth. DH Luis Cruz led off with a sharp single to center, before scooting to second on a wild pitch. One out later, Bader rocketed an RBI double to left-center field, bringing in Cruz to bring the Cardinals within one run, 4-3.
Weaver navigated through a scoreless fifth and sixth innings, closing his six-inning start with just the four unearned runs allowed while striking out five to keep the Cardinals within just two runs.
RHP Ronnie Shaban followed with a scoreless seventh, but the Hooks padded the lead in the bottom of the eighth against RHP Josh Lucas. With one on and two down, C Roberto Pena pulled a two-run homer to left field, increasing the Corpus Christi lead to 6-3.
Hooks RHP Aaron West (S, 10) then dealt a 1-2-3 final frame in the top of the ninth, closing the 6-3 win for Corpus Christi.
