Hauschild, Nash Pace Hooks Past RockHounds
CORPUS CHRISTI - Mike Hauschild won for the first time since May 30, pacing Corpus Christi to a 6-3 triumph over Midland Friday at Whataburger Field before 7,404.
The Hooks, 17-18 in Texas League second-half competition, snapped a six-game skid. Midland is 21-14.
Hauschild (2-6) worked seven innings to match his longest outing of the year. He struck out eight against six hits and two walks.
Tyson Perez earned his seventh save in seven tries by covering the final 1 1/3 innings. Mitchell Lambson was the bridge and the former Arizona State star fanned two of the three men he faced in the eighth.
A two-out uprising elevated the RockHounds to a 3-0 third-inning advantage. Conner Crumbliss lashed a two-out, two-strike single to left, scoring Hiro Nakajima, who'd opened with an infield hit. Max Muncy followed with his seventh home run on a first-pitch fastball.
During the fourth, Ruben Sosa's one-out double translated into the first Corpus Christi run. Sosa moved to third on Sean Murphy's wild pitch and home when Andrew Aplin spanked a two-out single into right.
The Hooks pulled to within a run the next inning, Telvin Nash's 17th homer a rocket onto the left-field berm. Nash is tied with former teammate Preston Tucker, now at Triple-A Oklahoma City, for the league lead.
Nash and Delino DeShields, Jr., contributed run-scoring singles as the Hooks chased Murphy while taking a 5-3 sixth-inning lead. Sosa crossed when reliever Frank Gailey committed a wild pitch. Corpus Christi's first five hitters reached, three against Murphy and two vs. Gailey.
Murphy (4-1), who failed to retire a man in the frame, finished with a line of five runs (three earned), four hits, three walks and three strikeouts.
Corpus Christi added a run post seventh-inning stretch with Ryan Doolittle on the mound, Sosa plating Carlos Perdomo (lead-off walk) with a single to right.
Crumbliss led all players with four hits.
Aaron West (2-0) takes the mound for Corpus Christi Saturday at 7:10. His opposition is Nate Long (8-6). The first 1,750 fans through Whataburger Field's gates receive a Hooks Navy Blue Button-Down Jersey from CITGO. Fans enjoy a baseball-themed movie postgame.