Hooks Stay Alive in Thriller

Corpus Christi put the San Antonio clinch party on hold with an 8-6 win Sunday evening at Wolff Stadium.
The Missions began the scoring Sunday in the second with Matthew Batten's RBI-double to right off lefty Cionel Pérez. An inning later, Ty France gave San Antonio a 2-0 lead when he took Perez's 3-1 pitch over the wall in right. It was the 10^th homer of the season for France.
San Antonio southpaw Jerry Keel, who defeated Corpus Christi on Tuesday with six shutout innings, was once again up to the task Sunday. Keel cruised through his first five innings, allowing just two hits and striking out eight.
In the sixth, the Hooks finally got to Keel, tying the game at two with Yordan Alvarez's two-run blast to right.
Designated hitter Webster Rivas quickly helped San Antonio regain the lead in the bottom half with a solo homer to left off reliever Framber Valdez. It was the second homer of the season for Rivas, who finished with three hits.
Unfortunately for the Missions, their lead did not last for long as the Hooks struck for four in the top of the seventh against Keel and righties Eric Yardley and Phil Maton.
San Antonio refused to let the rough seventh affect them, responding with a big rally in its half against Valdez. After Josh Naylor drew the Missions within one with a single to right, France tied the game at six with a clutch, two-run single to left center.
As was the case for much of Sunday's contest, the score did not stay the same for long. In the eighth, Corpus Christi took advantage of a two-out error by France at third to plate the go-ahead run off All-Star reliever Rowan Wick (2-4). The Hooks added another unearned run later in the frame with a Josh Rojas single to right.
Riley Ferrell (2-2) kept the Missions off the board the rest of the way, tossing two and a third hitless innings overall.
Corpus Christi (42-26) now holds a half-game lead over San Antonio (42-27) with one game left in the half. Monday's showdown will decide the South Division First Half title. First pitch is on H-E-B Family Night is scheduled for 7:05 PM. Colin Rea (ML Rehab) will get the ball for the Missions, while the Hooks counter with Alamo Heights native Forrest Whitley (0-0, 0.00).