Riders drop pitchers' duel to even series

FRISCO, Texas (August 30, 2023) – The Frisco RoughRiders held the Corpus Christi Hooks to just two runs for the second-consecutive game but could not muster enough offense in a 2-1 loss on Wednesday at Riders Field.

Box Score

Dane Acker tossed five shutout innings with only one hit allowed for Frisco, striking out five and walking just two. In his 10th start at Double-A, he tied his season high with five innings and lowered his ERA to 3.08.

Justin Slaten struck out five batters over two innings as the first RoughRiders reliever of the night. He did not allow a hit and held onto the 1-0 lead. Reid Birlingmair (1-1) allowed the go-ahead run on a bloop single in the eighth inning and took the loss. Danny Duffy pitched a scoreless top of the ninth.

Jax Biggers doubled to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning but was stranded at third base to end the game.

Tyler Brown (5-3) garnered the win by posting two hitless innings out of the Hooks' bullpen. Ray Gaither tossed the final two innings without a run and picked up the save.

Chris Seise's sacrifice fly in the second inning put the Riders ahead 1-0. Liam Hicks had walked earlier in the inning and scored the first run of the game. Hicks went 1-for-3 and has now reached base in all 33 of his games at Riders Field this year.

The Riders held onto the 1-0 lead until the eighth, when the Hooks scored their only two runs of the game. Frisco snapped a streak of 40 innings without trailing.

The RoughRiders snapped a four-game win streak on Wednesday. Frisco has won four consecutive games on three occasions this year but the Riders have not won five games in a row.

Trevor Hauver went 2-for-4 on Wednesday and has three hits plus a walk in the first two games of this series.

On Thursday, August 31st, the Hooks return to Riders Field at 7:05 p.m. for the third game of the six-game series with RHP Seth Nordlin (1-5, 5.43) on the mound for Frisco. Corpus Christi will send out RHP Blair Henley (3-5, 4.56 ERA).

Thirsty Thursday at Riders Field features $3 Truly and $3 Shiner in the seating bowl, plus $2 drinks for fans 21 and up with a Rowdy @ The River ticket, presented by Twisted Tea. Get your tickets now at RidersBaseball.com or call 972.731.9200.

About the RoughRiders

The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and the 2022 Texas League champions. In 2023, the team is celebrating its 20th anniversary and has consistently finished in the top five among all Double-A franchises in attendance yearly. In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. Since then, the new ownership group, together with the City of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise enhancements, investing over $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, Bullpen Bar, Riders Outpost Team Store and the world's largest water feature in a sports facility, the massive Lazy River. These enhancements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Best Ballpark Renovation" award for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). More than 190 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball including current Rangers Josh Jung, Grant Anderson and Martin Perez. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact [email protected].