Matthes Mashes Hooks

CORPUS CHRISTI - Kent Matthes went deep twice and drove in nine runs, including a fifth-inning grand slam, to power Midland to a 10-4 win over the Hooks Saturday night at Whataburger Field before 6,384.

Aaron West made his first appearance for Corpus Christi since April 27, following a two-month stay on the disabled list, and lasted just an inning and two-thirds. He worked out of a two-on, two-out jam in the first inning, but could not escape the second.

West walked Bruce Maxwell and Dusty Coleman to lead off the inning, before he allowed Matthes' first home run of the night, a three-run shot. D'Arby Myers followed with a double and Keith Bodie removed West after a strikeout of Jefry Marte. Ruben Alaniz entered and induced a Max Muncy fly ball to centerfield to finish the frame.

The Hooks answered with back-to-back home runs by Telvin Nash and Leo Heras in the bottom of the third off RockHounds starter Nate Long. The homer to left by Nash marked his league-leading 18th bomb and his 10th long ball in his last 18 games. Heras had not played in a game since July 12 and went deep to right field in his first plate appearance since coming off the disabled list.

Ruben Alaniz followed West on the mound for Corpus Christi in the second inning and allowed just one baserunner through his first two and one-third innings, but lost his control in the fifth. Four of the first five hitters reached bases via two singles and two walks, including a bases-loaded free pass that gave Midland a 4-2 lead.

After Alaniz delivered ball one to Matthes, Bodie went to the bullpen. David Rollins came on and allowed a grand slam to Matthes, his second home run of the game, to build a six-run RockHound lead.

Long held the Hooks at bay for the rest of his outing, stranding three more baserunners and yielding just a sixth-inning solo home run to Delino DeShields, Jr. His day ended after five and one-third innings, having allowed three earned runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

Marcus Walden tossed one and two-thirds shutout frames for the RockHounds before he gave way to Frank Gailey. Andrew Aplin greeted Gailey with a long home run over the right field bullpen to cut the Midland lead to four at 8-4.

In the top of the ninth inning Matthes got to Rollins for a two-run single, bringing his RBI total for the night to nine and giving the RockHounds a 10-4 margin. The nine runs batted in matched the most ever against the Hooks, accomplished by San Antonio's Kyle Blanks August 25, 2008 at Whataburger Field in a 21-3 Missions win.

The series against Midland concludes Sunday at 6:10 PM, when Drew Granier (5-4, 3.61) will start for Midland against the Corpus Christi tandem of Jordan Jankowski (3-4, 4.01) and Kyle Smith (4-3, 3.58).