Riders Bring the Bats in Opener

FRISCO - Home runs by Trey Hair, Dustin Harris, and Ezequiel Duran highlighted an 11-hit attack as the RoughRiders knocked off Corpus Christi, 13-7, Tuesday afternoon at Riders Field.

In the first meeting between the RoughRiders and Hooks this year, Grae Kessinger gave CC a fleeting second-inning lead with a two-out RBI double. Frisco then pulled ahead, 2-1, in the home half on a Hair dinger to right-center. This effort followed his three-homer performance on Sunday in Tulsa.

Enmanuel Valdez knotted the score with his sixth long ball of the year, a lead-off shot in the third.

The Riders then capitalized on a Valdez error in the bottom half, scoring four times on three hits and two walks. Derek West recorded the final out of the inning in relief of Jaime Melendez. Half of the six runs charged to Melendez were unearned.

Frisco used a double steal and two-out RBI single from Josh Stowers to make it 8-2 in the fourth.

Layne Henderson was the lone Hooks pitcher to escape unscathed, blanking the home team in the fifth and sixth.

Corpus Christi pushed back in the sixth, scoring four times to cut the Riders lead at 8-6. Valdez contributed with a sac fly and Justin Dirden cashed in a pair with an opposite-field, two-out, two-run double to left. Dirden has hit safely in a team-best 10 consecutive games.

With two down in the seventh, Harris responded with a three-run shot against Jojanse Torres for a 12-6 edge. Duran's homer opened the eighth against Matt Ruppenthal.

The Hooks, mired in a season high five game losing streak, send Misael Tamarez to the hill in Wednesday night's contest. Frisco lefty Avery Weems provides the opposition. First pitch 6:35.