Midland Takes Marathon
CORPUS CHRISTI - Matt Chapman's lead-off home run in the 14th pushed Midland past Corpus Christi 8-7 Monday at Whataburger Field before 3,223.
The Hooks, who held a 7-0 lead through two innings, fell to 9-8. Midland has an identical record.
The winner came off David Schmidt (1-1), who returned to the mound for his fourth inning of work after retiring nine of 10 RockHounds. Chapman's fifth home run of the year came on a 0-2 pitch.
Aaron Kurcz (4-0) worked the 12th and 13th for Midland and notched the victory. Despite walking opening hitter J.D. Davis in the home half of the 14th, Wade Kirkland earned the save. He played second base for the RockHounds during the first 13 innings.
Jack Mayfield brewed first-inning two-out trouble for Midland by drawing a walk from Raul Alcantara. Mayfield advanced into scoring position on Chase McDonald's single before James Ramsay popped an opposite field wind-aided home run to left. It was Ramsay's first Double-A round-tripper in his third game.
Mayfield's fourth home run of 2016 - a 403-foot, two-run blast to left - extended the Corpus Christi lead to 7-0. Teoscar Hernandez contributed a two-run double in the second-inning uprising. Danry Vasquez also doubled and had a steal of third.
That was all for Alcantara, lifted after five hits and 63 pitches (37). He walked three and struck out four.
Midland put its first run up in the third, Ryon Healy's two-out single plating Kirkland, who opened with a flare into left. Kirkland achieved third base on Jaycob Brugman's double down the left-field line.
Hooks starter Cy Sneed exited with two on and two away during the RockHounds fourth. Brett Vertigan greeted reliever Aaron West by singling home Viosergy Rosa (lead-off single), pulling the visitors within five runs. Sneed yielded six hits and fanned six over 83 pitches (55).
Midland continued to chip away in the fifth. Healy stroked a one-out double to right-center, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on Rosa's RBI grounder. Rosa reached when shortstop Chan-Jong Moon mishandled the ball. An out later, Danny Oh dropped a two-run single into center, making it 7-5.
Corpus Christi changed pitchers for the sixth, but Midland trimmed the margin to one vs. Michael Freeman with yet another two-out hit, Healy delivering and Vertigan crossing.
The RockHounds completed their comeback in the eighth, lead-off hitter Franklin Barreto taking just-inserted setup man Brendan McCurry deep to left on the first pitch he saw.
While the Hooks bullpen struggled, Midland relievers Sam Bragg, Bobby Wahl, and Ryan Doolittle threw two scoreless frames each, combining to face one over the minimum. The capper was provided by Jake Sanchez, who tossed blanks at the Hooks from the ninth through the 11th.
Reymin Guduan, who took over for McCurry, went six-up, six-down while pitching the ninth and 10th, and has retired 19 of 20 in a four-game span.
Tuesday is Mike Shaw Automotive Family Night and Half-Price Group Night. Corpus Christi's Joe Musgrove (1-0) faces Daniel Mengden (1-0) as the series continues.