Muncy & Company Drive Corpus Christi

CORPUS CHRISTI - A Max Muncy grand slam highlighted Midland's four home run performance as the RockHounds rolled past Corpus Christi 14-2 Monday at Whataburger Field before 7,556.

At 15-8, Midland leads the Texas League South Division second-half race. The Hooks, who had an eight-game home winning streak snapped, are 13-11.

Chris Jensen (7-7) permitted six hits - all singles - and a run while covering seven complete innings in 94 pitches (54 strikes). He walked two.

The Midland offense, which produced 18 hits on the night, unloaded on Hooks starter David Rollins (2-4) in the first. Lead-off hitter Billy Burns took a 1-0 pitch to the left-field berm for his first home run of 2014. Jefry Marte followed Muncy's one-out single with his eighth round-tripper, a boomer the same direction.

The RockHounds stranded three during a one-run second. Rollins walked lead-off man Dusty Coleman before Hiro Nakajima's RBI double to left.

Jensen got even more runs to play with in the fourth, Muncy's slam off the center field batter's eye pushing the bulge to 8-0.

Rollins' line upon leaving was four innings, eight hits, seven earned runs, three walks and a strikeout.

Corpus Christi scratched the next inning, M.P. Cokinos' RBI single the third of three behind Andrew Aplin and Carlos Perdomo.

Hooks reliever Ruben Alaniz threw two blanks at the RockHounds, but Blake Forsythe clobbered a two-run shot over the Corpus Christi bullpen for a 10-1 advantage prior to the seventh-inning stretch. Coleman's eighth-inning sacrifice fly plated Kent Matthes (lead-off double).

Five consecutive singles off Travis Ballew - including Muncy's fifth RBI and Marte's third - enabled the visitors to post three ninth-inning runs.

Hooks catcher Rene Garcia has a six-game hitting streak.

The series continues Tuesday at 7:10 when Corpus Christi's Mike Hauschild (1-4) takes the ball against Sean Murphy (3-0).