Corpus Christi routs NW Arkansas

TEXAS LEAGUE HOOKS 12, NATURALS 4

SPRINGDALE — Corpus Christi players hit five home runs Saturday and the Hooks cruised to a 12- 4 win over Northwest Arkansas at Arvest Ballpark.

Hooks third baseman Chad Stevens went 2 for 4 with two homers, drove in four and scored three times. He was one of four Corpus Christi players to finish with two hits.

The Hooks (24-26) jumped to a 2-0 lead as lead-off man Kenedy Corona walked and center fielder Joey Loperfido hit his seventh homer of the season, a two-run shot, to give the Hooks the lead in the top of the first.

Northwest Arkansas (2030) got a run in the bottom of the first as catcher Luca Tresh drove in Tyler Tolbert with an infield single. Tolbert reached on an error. The Naturals stranded runners at second and third when Jake Means grounded out to end the inning.

But catcher C.J. Stubbs crushed another two-run homer in the top of the second to push the Hooks’ lead to 4-1. Left fielder Quincy Hamilton followed with an RBI-single to knock out Naturals starter Jonathan Bowlan (0-4).

Bowlan allowed five runs on four hits in just 1.2 innings. He walked four and struck out two.

The Hooks added to their lead in the third as Chad Stevens walked, stole second and scored on a single by Hector Nieves for a 6-1 lead.

Hamilton and Stevens also both hit homers in the fourth as Corpus Christi took command 9-1. Naturals manager Tommy Shields summed it up well.

“We didn’t get off to a real good start did we?” Shields said. “We walked 11, gave up five homers. That’s unusual but you give them credit. They swung the bats well. When you’re struggling to throw strikes, you’re gonna throw balls down the middle on occasion. And that’s what we did.”

Derek West (1-0) picked up the win in relief for the Hooks. He pitched a hitless inning and struck out one.

Tresh and Jake Means each went 3 for 4 to lead Northwest Arkansas. They also scored a run and drove in one.

The Naturals have now lost nine of their last 11.

NATURALLY SPEAKING

Due to the rainy conditions for Saturday’s game at Arvest Ballpark, Northwest Arkansas announced a modified ticket exchange policy for all fans with ticket for that game.

Tickets for that game may be exchanged for a ticket of equal value to any game during the next Naturals’ homestand. That is even though the game was played and includes tickets that were used to attend Saturday’s game. The next homestand will be June 13-18 against Frisco.

Fans are required to exchange tickets in-person at the Arvest Ballpark ticket office during normal business hours.