Three Homers Help Missions Even Series
San Antonio matched a season high in runs in a 12-4 rout of Arkansas Saturday night at Wolff Stadium.
After both teams failed to score in the first two innings, the Missions broke through with a two-run third against Travs' starter Kramer Sneed. Reymond Fuentes' suicide squeeze drove in Bridger Hunt (leadoff triple) for the game's first run. Two batters later, Adam Buschini gave San Antonio a 2-0 lead with an RBI single.
An inning later, the Missions went back on the attack, plating four more runs on Sneed. Rymer Liriano opened the fourth with a double to left center and would move to third when Jason Hagerty followed with a single. After a Sneed wild pitch moved Hagerty into scoring position, Jake Lemmerman drove both runners home with a single up the middle. Rob Kral followed with a two-run homer to right, giving San Antonio a 6-0 lead and ending the night for Sneed (4-5).
In the fifth, Lemmerman pushed the Missions' lead to 8-0 with a two-run dinger of his own off reliever Nick Maronde.
Arkansas got back into the game with a four-run sixth inning against starter Matt Branham and reliever Jeff Ibarra. All four runs were charged to Branham (4-1), who allowed eight hits and no walks, while striking out four in five and a third innings.
San Antonio got a run back in the seventh when Liriano scored from third on a passed ball.
The Missions put the game away with three in the eighth, highlighted by Fuentes' two-run homer to right off reliever Michael Brady.
Relievers Luis De La Cruz and Adys Portillo combined to allow just one hit over the final three and a third innings to wrap up the Missions' 11th win in their last 14 games.
San Antonio (28-27) and Arkansas (27-27) wrap up their series Sunday, with first pitch set for 2:05 PM. The first 500 kids 12 & under will receive a free logo baseball courtesy of Kellogg's. James Needy (3-3, 2.93) will get the ball for the Missions, while the Travs will counter with fellow righty Drew Rucinski (3-3, 2.76).
Notes: Yeison Asencio (2-for-5) and Fuentes (2-for-3, 3 RBI) both extended their hit streaks to nine games, which ties them with Austin Hedges (5/10-19) for the club's longest this season. Asencio is hitting .488 (20-for-41) during his streak, while Fuentes is hitting .324 (12-for-37). Lemmerman's four RBI tied a season high.