Homering Hooks Take Series Lead

FRISCO - Home runs by Bryan Arias, Jose Alvarez and Justin Dirden highlighted a 10-attack as Corpus Christi pushed past the RoughRiders, 9-5, Thursday night at Riders Field.

The Hooks have totaled six long balls and 22 hits while picking up back-to-back wins against first-place Frisco.

Corpus Christi struck for a pair in the first while forcing Cody Bradford to make 34 pitches. Enmanuel Valdez cashed in on a Wilyer Abreu walk by driving an RBI double into the right-field corner. Dirden upped his hit streak to 12 games with a two-out single that chased Valdez from second.

Arias, who has notched an RBI in nine of his last 12 games, opened the third with his first long ball of the year.

Luke Berryhill and Yainer Diaz accounted for Corpus Christi's fourth marker in the third. Berryhill worked a six-pitch free pass and later scored when Diaz, now 7-for-14 in the series, sent a two-bagger off the wall in center.

The Hooks nine-hole hitter, Alvarez, made it 6-1 in the fourth with his first Double-A home run, a two-run clout to left.

Dirden, who belted a three-run homer in the ninth Wednesday, salted Thursday's contest with a three-run jack to center in the seventh. The St. Louis native is batting .479 with 10 runs, and 14 RBIs over his team best 12-game hitting streak.

Jose Bravo lasted 4 2/3 frames in his fourth start, holding Frisco to a pair of solo home runs.

Matt Ruppenthal stranded the bases loaded by retiring the lone man he faced in the fifth.

David Garcia hit a two-run home run in the sixth for his second long ball of the day. Adrian Chaidez, in his second Double-A outing, responded by posting zeros in the seventh and eighth.

Blaine Crim accounted for the fourth Frisco homer of the night, a ninth-inning solo shot against Chandler Casey.

The Hooks are slated to pitch Jimmy Endersby in Friday night's 6:35 contest. Frisco's probable is Rangers top prospect Jack Leiter.