RockHounds Fall in Extras to Frisco

Frisco RoughRiders 7, RockHounds 5 (10 innings)
Sunday, May 11, 2019
Security Bank Ballpark
If you want to know how to win in Minor League Baseball's current extra-innings protocol, the Frisco RoughRiders put on a clinic Sunday afternoon, defeating the RockHounds, 10-5, in 10 innings at Security Bank Ballpark.
The Riders got back-to-back-to-back RBI hits from Juremi Profar (double), Eliezer Álvarez and Andretty Cordero to build a 7-4 lead and reliever Walker Weickel was nearly perfect in the last of the 10^th, striking out the side. He allowed one run when designated runner Luis Barrera scored, ironically, on a wild pitch (and all the way from second base).
The game was back-and-forth throughout "regulation time," with a Mikey White double and Greg Deichmann's RBI single putting the 'Hounds on top in the first inning.
Profar, who was one of three Riders with three hits (Michael De Leon and Alvarez were the others) see below), started a two-run Frisco rally in the second with a leadoff single and drove in a run to build the Riders lead to 3-1 in the third.
Nate Mondou's second two-run home run in as many games (this one a high fly ball to the bullpen short porch in right) tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth. The homers Saturday and Sunday were Nate's first at the Double-A level.
Profar (again) gave the RoughRiders a 4-3 advantage in the top of the eighth. His sacrifice fly scored Christian Lopes, who led off the inning with a "hustle double" to left-center. The RockHounds' Luke Persico then tied the game in the home half of the inning with a 400-plus-foot home run to the left-center field power alley.
Notable
Frisco was the "big winner" Sunday, gaining a game over its two closest pursuers. Amarillo avoided a sweep at Corpus Christi with a 4-2 win, so the RoughRiders (21-15) now lead the RockHounds (18-17) by two-and-a-half games and the Hooks (17-18) by three-and-a-half (the Sod Poodles stayed six back with their win at "the beach").
This weekend marked the halfway point of the (70-game) first half pennant race (the RockHounds and Corpus Christi, due to rainouts, will play 69 games, but that's close enough for jazz and Abner Doubleday). The RockHounds and RoughRiders have played FIFTEEN times in the first 35 games (as have Amarillo and Corpus). Meanwhile, the RoughRiders have yet to play Amarillo and the 'Hounds haven't seen Corpus Christi ... in the four-team South Division!
Michael De Leon probably had to be dragged to the team bus, not wanting to leave Rocky Town. The Riders shortstop went 9-for-17 in the series with two runs, four doubles and three RBI. He is hitting .391 in the season series versus the 'Hounds (18-for-46) with five doubles. De Leon has 13 RBI for the season ... eleven of them at the 'Hounds' expense.
Juremi Profar, in addition to making several defensive plays ranging from "good" to "exceptional," had an outstanding series at the plate. After sitting out Thursday's opener, the Frisco third baseman went 5-for-12, scoring twice and driving in four runs. Beyond the numbers, each of his hits and ribbies seemed to come at a critical point.
In his last six games, Nate Mondou is 9-for-23 (.391), with five runs, one double, two triples, his first two AA home run, and six RBI. He has hits in five of the six contests (and walked twice in other) - - a .440 on-base percentage and an .870 slugging percentage. Nate, who was hitting .211 on May 5, is now at .253 for the season.
Mikey White has hit in three straight games, going 7-for-13 with two doubles and three RBI (all in the Frisco series). He has four multi-hit games (two of them three-hit nights) in his last seven contests.
The extra-innings "formula" described, above, was the same one with which the RockHounds won (9-4) at Amarillo earlier this season. The 'Hounds scored five times in the 10^th and Kyle Finnegan, like Walker Weickel on Sunday, never gave the Sod Poodles a chance to start a rally, whiffing the side, 1-2-3. Very few leads are safe in the new protocol, and we've seen some strange things in the short time the new rules have been in place.
We'll add a sidebar tomorrow, along with the new rotation and a roster move (want to make sure everything is official and "good to go"), but congratulations to Parker Dunshee on a VERY well-deserved promotion to Triple-A Las Vegas!
Next Game
Monday, May 13         vs. Amarillo Sod Poodles
HODGETOWN           Amarillo, Texas
First pitch 7:05 p.m.   
- First of a three-game series and road trip
- Radio: NewsTalk 550 with Bob Hards ... airtime 7:00 p.m.