RockHounds Give Up Late Lead to RoughRiders

Frisco RoughRiders 4, RockHounds 3                                                                
Friday, April 19, 2019
Dr Pepper Ballpark     Frisco, TX
For most of the early going of the 2019 season, defense has been one of the RockHounds' strengths. They committed only one error Friday night at Frisco, but the single miscue changed the course of the game as the RoughRiders walked off in the last of the ninth with a 4-3 win at Dr Pepper Ballpark.
The 'Hounds led, 3-2, entering the last of the ninth and Norge Ruiz opened the inning with a strikeout of Charles Leblanc. Preston Beck then grounded to second base, but Brallan Perez misplayed the ball and Beck reached on the error. Juremi Profar followed with a single, putting runners at the corners. Andretty Cordero's single to right-center tied the game and Tony Sanchez drove in the game-winner with a single down the left field line.
The RockHounds led, 2-0 and 3-1, but the Riders rallied back both times. Luke Persico (double, triple, run, RBI) and Nate Mondou (walk, single, run, RBI) led the offense and Jonah Heim added an RBI double in the second inning.
James Naile, facing Frisco for the third time in his first four starts, allowed two runs on two hits and two walks over 6⅔ innings. Ruiz took the loss while allowing two runs, the first of which was unearned due to the critical error.
Frisco's win snapped a five-game losing streak and put an end to the RockHounds' five-game win streak. The clubs now share first place in the Texas League South (both 9-7), one game ahead of the Corpus Christi Hooks (8-8) and three up on the Amarillo Sod Poodles (6-10).
Basics
WP:                   Jairo Beras (1-1, 12.60)
LP: Norge Ruiz            (BS, 0-1, 3,12)
Sv: None
Notables
While Frisco took advantage of the game's only error for the win, the RoughRiders' defense took two potential RockHound runs off the board. Juremi Profar and Charles Leblanc (third and first base, respectively) took a hit away from Brallan Perez in the third, with Profar making a nice play and Leblanc handling the throw from across the diamond on a hop. The play was followed by Greg Deichmann's single and Luke Persico's RBI double.   In the top of the ninth, Chase Calabuig walked and stole second. He was running with two out on Johah Heim's pop-up to shallow left field. While the ball was not hard hit, shortstop Michael DeLeon had to make the catch while hitting the deck in shallow left (and Calabuig rounding third).
James Naile's two runs had an added element of frustration. Andretty Cordero scored in the fifth after reaching on a full-count walk that started 0-2. Preston Beck brought the Riders to within 3-2 with a solo home run that came with the count full on at-bat that also started with an 0-2 count. In three starts versus the RoughRiders, James has allowed three runs in 19⅔ innings (a 1.37 ERA).
Jonah Heim extended his hit streak to five games and reached base safely in seven straight and Luke Persico (2-for-4, double, triple, run, RBI) has reached base in six straight. Brallan Perez, thanks in part to the "thievery" noted, above, went 0-for-4 and was kept off base for the first time in 10 games this season.
Next Game
Saturday, April 20 vs. Frisco RoughRiders
Dr Pepper Ballpark     Frisco, Texas
First pitch 7:05 p.m.   
- Second of a three-game series and road trip
- Radio: NewsTalk 550 with Bob Hards ... airtime 7:00 p.m.

Probable Starters
FRI: Edgar Arredondo (RH, 0-1, 3.97)
RH: Brian Howard (RH,       2-0, 0.56)
Next at Security Bank Ballpark:
The RockHounds open an eight-game homestand on Monday, April 22
April 22-25       vs. Tulsa Drillers
April 26-29       vs. Northwest Arkansas Naturals