Hooks Edge Hounds in Opener

MIDLAND - A two-out RBI single by Jamie Ritchie in the eighth inning Wednesday night was the difference in Corpus Christi's 4-3 win over the RockHounds before 3,181 fans at Security Bank Ballpark.
With San Antonio's extra-inning triumph over Frisco, the Hooks (39-26) remain two games back of the Missions with five to play in the Texas League South first half race.

Forrest Whitley made his second start of the season, stranding four over four scoreless innings. Whitley struck out six and walked two, throwing 46 of 72 pitches for strikes.
In his two outings with the Hooks this season, the 20-year-old San Antonio native has blanked the opposition over eight frames, striking out 11 against three hits.
With Corpus Christi ahead 1-0, Taylor Jones and Randy César opened the sixth with back-to-back doubles off Norge Ruiz to make it a two-run game. Ryne Birk followed with an RBI single.
Cesar upped his hitting streak to 35 games, the longest in the minor this season. He is two games away from matching the Texas League record.
The RockHounds (32-33) responded in the home half of the sixth by stringing together three consecutive singles against Kit Scheetz. Eli White put Midland on the board with a sac fly, and Tyler Marincov leveled the score thanks to a two-out, two-run single.
Two Jarret Martin walks set the stage for Ritchie's heroics in the eighth. Cesar scored from second base on a bang-bang play at the plate.
Erasmo Pinales picked up his first victory of the year by hurling 2 1/3 scoreless innings to finish the game.
The Hooks are slated to pitch lefty Ryan Hartman (5-2, 3.63) in Thursday's 7 p.m. tilt. Midland is set to counter with veteran Joel Seddon (4-3, 5.32).