Corpus Christi 10, Northwest Arkansas 5
Corpus Christi jumped to an 8-0 lead after four innings, but held on for a 10-5 win over Northwest Arkansas at Whataburger Field on Wednesday evening.
The Naturals (6-5) brought the tying run in the top of the eighth with two outs, but reliever Amilcar Chirinos came on and struck out Carson Roccaforte to end the threat. They loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth, but Justin Johnson struck out to end the game as Chirinos notched his first save.
The Hooks extended their lead with two runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Eight of the nine Hooks in the lineup had at least one hit.
Roccaforte and Rudy Martin Jr. had two hits each for the Naturals, who suffered their third straight loss. Martin drove in two runs, while Roccaforte scored once and drove in a run.
Naturals starter Henry Williams (1-1) took the loss, allowing eight runs over 3 2/3 innings. He allowed five hits and walked five.
Leading 2-0, Corpus Christi (6-5) broke the game open with three runs in the bottom of the third and extended its lead to 5-0. Pascanel Ferreras had a sacrifice fly to score a run, while Luis Baez and Tommy Sacco Jr. added RBI singles for a 5-0 advantage. The Hooks added another run thanks to a balk by Williams.
The Naturals got on the board with three runs in the top of the seventh — all with two outs. Roccaforte drove in one with a single, while Martin Jr. followed with a two-run double to pull within 8-3. But Sam Kulisingam grounded out to end the inning.
The same two teams square off again on Thursday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at Whataburger Field.