Santana Slugs Hooks to Victory

CORPUS CHRISTI - Domingo Santana blasted a Hooks record three home runs and drove in five as the Hooks beat the Frisco RoughRiders 9-4 in front 5,058 fans Friday at Whataburger Field.

The RoughRiders scored first, manufacturing a run in the first inning. Hanser Alberto hit a one-out single, stole second and move to third on a throwing error by Hooks catcher Rene Garcia before Jared Hoying drove him in with a sacrifice fly.

The Hooks answered with solo home runs by Jiovanni Mier and Santana in the bottom of the inning and an RBI single off the bat of Drew Muren in the second to take a 2-1 lead. With two outs in the third, Santana stepped in and belted his second home run of the game to put Corpus Christi in front by three.

Frisco starter Kevin Pucetas notched his first one-two-three inning of the game in the fourth, but ran into trouble again in the fifth inning. Muren led off the frame with a base hit and later scored on a Garcia double.

Pucetas (4-3) allowed five runs on six hits, three of which were home runs, and struck out three.

Bobby Doran (5-0) followed starter Nick Tropeano on the mound for Corpus Christi and ran into trouble in the seventh. Zach Zaneski led off with a single and a Doran throwing error put runners on second and third with nobody out. Odubel Herrera hit a sacrifice fly to left to score one run, before Teodoro Martinez smacked his first home run of the season to make it a 5-4 game.

Corpus Christi quickly struck back and then some, posting a four-run bottom of the seventh. Zach Johnson started the frame with his first Double-A long ball and later in the inning Santana followed with his third homer of the night, a three-run shot.

Santana's three home run game was the first in Hooks history and the first performance of its kind at Whataburger Field by any player. The multi-home run game was the second for the Hooks this season, following George Springer's April 23 at Midland.

The five home runs the Hooks belted as a team are the most in 2013 and one short of the team record, last accomplished in Midland on April 30, 2009.

The third game of the series with Frisco is Saturday at 7:05. The first 1,750 fans will receive a Hooks Green and Gold Jersey presented by CITGO and there will be a silent auction in which fans can bid on game worn Hooks jerseys, the proceeds of which will benefit the South Texas Council of Boy Scouts of America.