Hooks Strike Late in Home Opener

CORPUS CHRISTI - Alex De Goti cracked a couple doubles and Ralph Garza fired 3 2/3 shutout frames of relief Thursday night as the Hooks knocked off Northwest Arkansas, 5-2, before a sellout crowd of 6,213 fans at Whataburger Field.
Corpus Christi lefty spread two runs and 10 hits over five innings of work. The Naturals markers came in the fourth via a two-out, two-run double off the bat of Alfredo Escalera.

Valdez struck out five and did not issue a walk.
With the game level at two and runners at the corners in the Northwest Arkansas sixth, Garza entered from the bullpen and recorded a strikeout and flyout to end the frame.
Garza went on to fan five, retiring 12 of the 13 me he faced.
De Goti, hitting in the nine hole, went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. His lead-off two-bagger in the seventh paved the way for RBI singles by Stephen Wrenn and Taylor Jones, which turned a 2-2 stalemate into a 4-2 Hooks lead.
In the ninth, De Goti managed to score from second base on an infield single by centerfielder Myles Straw.
Lefty Ryan Hartman gets the ball for Corpus Christi Friday night. The Naturals plan to counter with Scott Blewett. First pitch is 7:05 as the fans will be treated with Bud Light Friday Fireworks postgame.