Hounds Run Away with Opener

MIDLAND - Dustin Hurlbutt fired 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball Wednesday night, and the RockHounds racked up 10 hits in a 7-1 victory over Corpus Christi at Security Bank Ballpark.
Midland (5-14, 40-49) sent seven men to bat and scored three runs in the first inning against Alex Winkelman. A string of three singles began the frame. Viosergy Rosa hit into a double play to put the Hounds on the scoreboard. J.P. Sportman was next and ripped an RBI double into the left-field corner. Sportman later scored on a throwing error by third baseman J.D. Davis. 

The first-inning output matched the three runs scored by Midland in its recent three-game series at Tulsa.
Rosa made it 4-0 with a lead-off dinger in the third. It was his 12th homer of the year, and fifth vs. Corpus Christi (9-10, 43-46).
Winkelman (0-5) walked the first two batters in the fifth, ending his night. Akeem Bostick struck out the first hitter he faced before issuing a free pass to Max Schrock. Tyler Ramirez then hit a slow chopper down the third-base line for a two-run double. Sean Murphy's RBI groundout accounted for the seventh RockHounds run.
Hurlbutt (1-1), who held the Hooks to two hits, has not allowed a run in his last two starts, spanning 11 1/3 innings. He walked two and fanned four Wednesday night.
The lone Corpus Christi run came in the eighth. Bryan De La Cruz notched a pinch-hit double for his first Double-A knock, and later came home on an error by Rosa at first base.
Kyle Tucker mustered two of the four Hooks hits.
Bostick retired 11 of the final 12 RockHound hitters.
Brock Dykxhoorn (3-4, 4.41) gets the ball for Corpus Christi Thursday night. Midland counters with A's top pitching prospect A.J. Puk (0-2, 6.08). First pitch 7:00.