The streak ends at six in Corpus Christi

CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS (APRIL 19, 2013) - Following a heroic and historic win Thursday night for the Frisco RoughRiders, they fell 3-2 Friday night at Whataburger field against the Corpus Christi Hooks. The 'Riders collected base hits in seven of the nine innings but could not collect the important base knock to rally against their South Division foes.

The Hooks (8-6) finished Thursday night with ten scoreless innings offensively before falling to Frisco in the seventeenth inning, but they changed that trend in a hurry on Friday. Off of RoughRiders starter Kevin Pucetas, who threw 7.1 scoreless innings his last time out, the Hooks plated two runs in the first inning. After a groundout, Ben Orloff and George Springer singled in back-to-back plate appearances. Michael Burgess followed them up with a two-run double to make it 2-0 Hooks.

The resilient Frisco bats went to work in the next half inning. Chih-Hsien Chiang led off the second with a triple, hacking at the first pitch he saw from Hooks starting pitcher Bobby Doran, sending it into to deep center field. Ryan Strausborger then knocked him home on a single to cut the deficit to one run.

Frisco, though, would never even tie it. The Hooks added another run in the third inning when Springer singled home Austin Wates to make it 3-1 Corpus Christi.

Frisco (9-5) collected base hits in three of the next four innings but could not score off Doran and tandem-partner Nick Tropeano. Their second run didn't come until the seventh, when a Hanser Alberto single brought home Strausborger, one of five hits off the reliever in innings six through eight. That one run was all they could muster.

It looked as if Frisco would tie or take the lead in the eighth frame. Odubell Herrera and Guilder Rodriguez started the inning with back-to-back singles. After Jared Hoying popped out, it was left to Alex Buchholz.  He grounded into a rally-killing 6-4-3 double play to end the inning, and the 'Riders went quietly in the ninth.

Doran (2-0) collected the win, and Pucetas (2-1) took his first loss as a member of the RoughRiders. Working four innings of one-run ball, Tropeano picked up his second save.

The RoughRiders went just 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position and were caught stealing three times. Because of a Midland loss Friday, the RoughRiders remain in first place in the South Division and the Texas League. 

The RoughRiders play game three of the four-game set with the Corpus Christi Hooks at 7:05 p.m. at Whataburger Field Saturday. Carlos Pimentel (2-0, 4.09 ERA) toes the rubber for Frisco. Corpus Christi counters with David Martinez (1-0, 2.89 ERA).  Fans can tune in to the play-by-play broadcast on www.RidersBaseball.com beginning at 6:40.

Frisco will return to Dr Pepper Ballpark Friday, April 26 at 7 p.m. when they host Corpus Christi.  For information on tickets to see the RoughRiders in 2013, please call (972) 731-9200, email [email protected] or visit www.ridersbaseball.com.