Gonzalez's Perfect Night Carries Hooks to Win

Slugger accounts for seven runs in 8-6 bout

By Dan Reiner

June 26, 2021

CORPUS CHRISTI - Norel Gonzalez drove in a whopping seven runs to outpace the visiting Amarillo Sod Poodles in an 8-6 Hooks win Friday at Whataburger Field. Gonzalez went a perfect 5-for-5 including a homer and two doubles. Amarillo's Stone Garrett hit a solo homer in the first inning off

CORPUS CHRISTI - Norel Gonzalez drove in a whopping seven runs to outpace the visiting Amarillo Sod Poodles in an 8-6 Hooks win Friday at Whataburger Field.

Gonzalez went a perfect 5-for-5 including a homer and two doubles.

Amarillo's Stone Garrett hit a solo homer in the first inning off Brett Daniels, but Gonzalez responded with a three-run blast (9) in the bottom of the frame against Luis Frias. Frias lasted just just two-thirds of an inning after 35 pitches.

Ross Adolph hit a towering shot (5) that was halfway up the batter's eye in center field to make it 4-1 in the second. It was Adolph's third consecutive game with a home run.

ADOLPH ALMOST CLEARED THE BATTER'S EYE!

A dinger in 3 straight games for @radolph07! pic.twitter.com/epmlR9mhxI
— Corpus Christi Hooks (@cchooks) June 26, 2021

It was 5-3 Hooks in the sixth when Gonzalez hit a ball into the right-center field gap, scoring Corey Julks and Marty Costes. Gonzalez tried to chug around to third and achieve a cycle, but he was thrown out well before reaching the bag.

That didn't deter the Cuban rookie, who gave the Hooks another lift in the eighth with a much-needed insurance run after the Soddies made it a one-run game.

Daniels (W, 1-3) fired 5.0 innings of three-run ball, striking out five. Devin Conn worked a perfect ninth for his first save.

The Hooks go for four straight wins Saturday at 7:05 p.m. The first 2,000 fans will receive a mesh Coastal Bend Beach Bag, courtesy of the Port of Corpus Christi.