Drillers Take Opener

TULSA, OK - A lack of execution at the plate doomed the Hooks Sunday afternoon as Tulsa rolled to a 6-3 victory at ONEOK Field.   

It was a pitchers' duel early on as Nick Tropeano (0-2) and Tulsa lefty Tyler Matzek traded zeros thru the first three innings. 

Henry Wrigley put the Drillers on the board in the fourth with a two-run home run to left field.  Tulsa extended the lead to 3-0 in the fifth.  Jason Langfels led off with a single and moved to second on a groundout to third.  Following a walk and a fly out, Angelys Nina ripped a single to center field.  George Springer charged the ball and fired a strike to home plate but Carlos Perez could not handle the throw, allowing Langfels to score.     

Kiel Roling tacked on another tally, belting a solo shot to left off Bobby Doran with one away in the sixth. 

Corpus Christi would cut the lead in half in the seventh.  With runners at first and second and two away, Springer served a line-drive into left field, chasing Perez home from second.  Catcher Jose Gonzalez tried to cut down Springer, advancing on the throw from left, at second but sailed the throw, permitting Jiovanni Mier to score. 

Tulsa added valuable insurance in the eighth as Doran yielded a Wrigley lead-off walk, a Roling RBI double and a run-scoring triple off the bat of Kyle Parker.

The Hooks, who failed to score with the bases loaded and one away in the second, had the bases full with no outs in the ninth yet only managed one run.

Corpus Christi seeks to even the series tomorrow afternoon when Asher Wojciechowski and David Martinez take on Tulsa veteran Dan Houston.  First pitch is 12:05 and the Envoy Mortgage Pre-Game Show begins at 11:45 on KUNO 1400-AM in Corpus Christi.  Listen online at cchooks.com