Holmes, Hounds Hammer Hooks

MIDLAND - Bolstered by a big first inning and Grant Holmes' sterling performance, Midland handled the Hooks, 7-1, Friday night before a crowd of 5,146 at Security Bank Ballpark.
Trailing by a run, Midland sent nine men to bat in the opening frame, scoring five times on five singles and an error. J.P. Sportman's two-out RBI knock against Yoanys Quiala pushed the first marker across. Max Schrock then sent one through the left side, making it a 2-1 game. Tyler Ramirez was next and hit a deep fly to left field. Jason Martin, charging toward the corner, dropped the ball for an error and a 3-1 RockHound bulge. Sean Murphy capitalized further with a bouncer up the middle, plating a pair.  

It was an auspicious start for the Hooks (10-11, 44-47) as Ramón Laureano crushed the first pitch of the game into the left-field corner for a double. Two outs later, Jon Singleton cracked a base hit into right field for a 1-0 lead.
Holmes (6-9) did not allow a hit from the second through his exit after the seventh. He fanned five and walked three, throwing 52 of 84 pitches for strikes.
Kyle Tucker's eighth-inning double off Sam Bragg was Corpus Christi's fourth and final hit of the game.
Quiala (1-2), who posted zeros from the second through the fourth, would not finish the fifth. Midland (6-15, 41-50) plated two runs on a string of four singles. Schrock knocked in Jermaine Curtis and Viosergy Rosa with a ground ball through the left side.
Nick Hernandez relieved Quiala and induced a pair of ground balls to escape the bases-loaded jam. Hernandez yielded one hit in 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
Ralph Garza sidestepped two singles in the eighth.
Corpus Christi sends lefty Framber Valdez to the hill Saturday night with the charge of a series split. Heath Fillmyer is slated to pitch for the RockHounds. First pitch 7 p.m.