White's Three Run Home Run Leads Hounds to Win

Mikey White picked the perfect time ... in more ways than one ... to hit the RockHounds' first home run of the 2018 season.
White's three-run shot into the left field bullpen broke a 3-3 tie in the last of the sixth as the RockHounds won their second straight game to open the new Texas League campaign, defeating the Springfield Cardinals, 6-3.
The timing was ideal not only on the scoreboard but in "real time," too. Just minutes (and not many) after White's tie-breaking dinger touched down in the visitor's bullpen, a warm, windless night turned nasty, with temperatures dropping and winds gusting to near 30 miles per hour.
Singles from Sean Murphy and Brett Vertigan in the second inning were compounded by a wild pitch from Springfield starter Ryan Helsley and White, who had a four-RBI night, brought Murphy home with a ground ball to second for the game's first run.
The Cardinals had leadoff extra-base hits in three consecutive innings, with triples from Thomas Spitz (third) and Tommy Edman (fifth) sandwiched around a Lane Thomas leadoff homer in the fourth (see below). Spitz' triple turned into a run and Andrew Knizner's two-out double in the third turned into a 2-1 Cardinal lead on an RBI single from John Nogowski. Thomas' homer made the score 3-1 in the fourth, but 'Hounds starter Corey Walter escaped in the fifth, retiring three batters to strand Edman at third.
The 'Hounds took advantage of Walter's escape, scoring twice in the last of the fifth. Santiago Chávez doubled to left and Melvin Mercedes brought him home with a single to left. Mercedes later scored on the only error in the first two games of the series (by shortstop Edmundo Sosa).
Helsley, after striking out 5-of-10 batters beginning in the fourth, hit Murphy with one out in the sixth and, after getting ahead, 0-2, walked Vertigan on the next four pitches. White then ripped a 1-2 pitch into the left field 'pen, breaking the tie with what would become the game-winning swing.
Reliever Trey Cochran-Gill gave up a leadoff single in the seventh before retiring the next six batters for the hold. Nolan Blackwood retired the side in order in the ninth to slam the door and earn the save.
Notables                                                          
Mikey White has a league-leading five RBI over the first two games.
Melvin Mercedes had a tremendous all-around game, going 2-for-2 at the plate, with a run, an RBI and a walk. He also made three outstanding plays at second base ... in the first inning, alone.
Sean Murphy is 4-for-7 (.571) through the first two games, with four runs, a double, an RBI and a hit by pitch (a .625 OBP). He also went from first-to-third to set up the tying run Friday and prevented the tying run from scoring from third in the ninth with a terrific block.
Turnstiles                                                        
Friday's crowd was 4,460, bringing the total for the first two games to just under 10,000 (9,833).
Meteorology                                                    
The first six innings (basically through Mikey White's home run in the sixth) were played in cloudy but near-perfect conditions, with no wind (rare for West Texas) and a temperature in the mid 80's. That game ended (and the last three innings were played) with winds between 25 and 30 miles per hour and a temperature in the low 60's.
Saturday's high is not expected to reach 60 ... but Sunday afternoon's forecast calls for 95 degrees. Welcome to West Texas!
Completely Useless But Kinda Cool Stat(s)    
At 5-feet-9-inches tall, Brett Vertigan has played first base before ... but not often (six games with Vermont in 2014 and one with the 'Hounds last year). He is expected to share first base duties (with Seth Brown) this season, and the baseball "powers that be" made sure he was indoctrinated properly - - Brett had eighteen (18) putouts Friday night.
The Cardinals have three home runs in the series, two of them coming on the first pitch of the top of the fourth inning (Andrew Knizner Thursday and Lane Thomas Friday).
Next Game                                                      
Saturday, April 7            vs. Springfield Cardinals
Security Bank Ballpark   7:00 p.m. (Gates open at 6:00)
Final of a three-game series and third of a six-game homestand
Postgame Fireworks
Radio: NewsTalk 550 at 6:47 with Bob Hards
Probable Starters                                            
SPR: Connor Greene    (RH, first start)
RCK: Ben Bracewell      (RH, first start)