CORPUS CHRISTI - The Springfield Cardinals allowed just one hit in a 7-0 shutout win of the Corpus Christi Hooks before 5,218 fans at Whataburger Field on Friday night. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Hooks 1B Jon Singleton broke up a no-hit bid with a double.
CORPUS CHRISTI - The Springfield Cardinals allowed just one hit in a 7-0 shutout win of the Corpus Christi Hooks before 5,218 fans at Whataburger Field on Friday night. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Hooks 1B Jon Singleton broke up a no-hit bid with a double.
Cardinals RHP Ryan Helsley (2-0) dealt a dominant six innings in his start against the Hooks (22-25, 56-61). While not allowing a single hit, Helsley worked around five walks and struck out six batters.
RHP Pedro Echemendia followed Helsley's outing with two scoreless relief innings in the seventh and eighth to preserve the no-hit bid. After a walk and a fly out in the bottom of the ninth, Singleton doubled against RHP Rowan Wick for the Hooks first hit of the night. Wick responded with two quick outs to close the Cardinals win.
While the arms dominated, Springfield (31-17, 66-52) took a lead in the third against Hooks starter Akeem Bostick (4-5). With two down and the bases empty, Adolis Garcia hit a solo home run to left field, lifting the Cardinals into the 1-0 lead.
Springfield stretched the advantage in the top of the fourth inning. A one-out double from Anthony García started the rally. After Garcia moved to third base on a wild pitch, Jacob Wilson brought him in with an RBI single to left-center field, doubling the Cardinals lead to 2-0.
The Cards struck again in the top of the fifth. Randy Arozarena led off with a walk, before stealing his way to second base. Two outs later, Eliezer Álvarez placed an RBI single to shallow right field, plating Arozarena from second base to make it 3-0.
Adolis Garcia added to the lead in the top of the seventh. After a two-out walk from Darren Seferina, Adolis Garcia belted a two-run shot to left field, his second homer of the night, stretching the lead to 5-0.
The Cardinals added two final runs in the top of the ninth. Oscar Mercado led off with a double. Arozarena then tapped a grounder back to the mound that RHP Ryan Thompson fielded but threw past third base, allowing Mercado to score on the play with Arozarena winding up at second. One out later, Adolis Garcia rifled an RBI single to left field for his fourth RBI of the night.
