Sulbaran, Morin Key Naturals Victory

CORPUS CHRISTI - J.C. Sulbaran held Corpus Christi to one run and struck out eight over 6 2/3 innings as Northwest Arkansas dropped the Hooks 4-3 Tuesday at Whataburger Field before 5,298.

Sulbaran (8-8) was touched for four hits and a walk. The former Dutch Olympian threw 91 pitches, 56 for strikes. Mark Peterson earned his second save, covering the final four outs for Northwest Arkansas (25-25; 50-70).

Parker Morin's two-out, full-count single pushed Hunter Dozier home from second for a 1-0 Naturals lead in the second. Dozier and Juan Graterol stroked consecutive one-out singles off Mike Hauschild (2-8).

Sulbaran then spotted Corpus Christi (21-30; 55-66) a couple of no-out baserunners, but the Hooks came away empty-handed. Sulbaran struck Telvin Nash with a pitch and walked Colin Moran before Jonathan Meyer's successful sacrifice bunt. Sulbaran fanned Conrad Gregor and caught Teoscar Hernandez looking.

Orlando Calixte scored Northwest Arkansas' second run two frames later, navigating the bases on a pair of throwing errors by shortstop Meyer.

Three straight well-hit balls chased Hauschild during the sixth. Calixte had an opening double and crossed on Graterol's single. Reliever Kyle Smith issued a walk to Edinson Rincon and yielded an RBI single to Morin.

Smith went on to strike out six in three innings.

Hauschild, who's dropped eight of his last nine decisions, permitted six hits and three earned runs. He struck out four in an 80-pitch outing.

Moran's two-out RBI double in a three-hit sixth plated Tony Kemp (lead-off single), pulling Corpus Christi to within three runs. Naturals reliever Andrew Triggs found tough going in the eighth as the Hooks rallied for two more runs on Leo Heras' double and a Moran single, Kemp again setting the table with a lead-off safety.

Hooks lefty Josh Hader (0-0) makes his initial Corpus Christi appearance Wednesday at 7:10 vs. Christian Binford (3-2). It's Whataburger Family Day, so buy a ticket and get your kid's ticket free.