Oklahoma City (8-2)
Memphis scored the first three runs of the game, but OKC got the last four for a 4-3 win at Memphis, with five of their eight wins coming against the Cardinals affiliate. Henry Sosa threw 5IP, 6H/3R (2ER), 5K:1BB; and then the bullpen retired 12 of the last 13 Redbirds they faced, with Jose Valdez walking a batter in the 9th to break up the Perfecto Bullpeno. Sergio Perez threw two perfect innings, and Xavier Cedeno got the win.
The offense pulled it out despite going 1x13 w/RISP. Brian Bixler was 2x3 with 2BB, 2SB, and a solo homer. Carlos Corporan had your other multi-hit game, while Angel Sanchez was 0x1, but with 3BBs. Something to keep an eye on: Brett Wallace was removed from the game with a left oblique strain in the 3rd inning, and was replaced by Diory Hernandez.
Man of the Match: Brian Bixler.
Corpus (5-4)
Despite scoring seven runs, the Hooks fell at NW Arkansas 9-7 in a back-and-forth game that saw the Hooks take a 3-0 lead in the top of the 1st, and give it back in the bottom half. NW Arkansas took a 6-3 lead after three, then traded runs in the 4th. The Hooks got three in the top-half of the 5th inning to tie it up at 7-7, and then NW Arkansas got runs in the 6th and 8th. Brett Oberholtzer got roughed up, allowing 9H/7R (6ER), 2K:0BB, 2HR in 4.1IP; Jonnathan Aristil got the loss with 3H/1ER, 3K:0BB in 2.2IP, and Arcenio Leon gave up 2H/1ER in 1IP.
Jake Goebbert was 2x5 with an RBI and an outfield assist; Brandon Barnes was 2x4 with two doubles and 2RBI, and Kody Hinze was 2x4. Jonathan Villar was 1x4 with a walk, but committed three errors at SS. Austin Wates was 0x5, making him 1x10 since inexplicably being held out of the lineup on April 11, when he was 13x26.
Man of the Match: Brandon Barnes.
Lancaster (3-6)
Lancaster jumped out to an early 3-0 lead and cruised to a 4-1 win over Lake Elsinore. Bobby Doran threw 7IP, 7H/0ER, 7K:0BB, getting nine groundouts to two flyouts for his 1st win of the season. Kirk Clark walked one in 1IP, and Jorge De Leon allowed an unearned run to lower his ERA to 13.50.
Jio Mier hit his first homer of the season to lead off the game, and George Springer hit his 2nd of the season, as did Erik Castro.
Man of the Match: Bobby Doran.
Lexington (3-7)
No scoring in this one until the 7th inning, and it was mostly Kannapolis doing the scoring after that, in a 3-1 win over the Legends. Nick Tropeano threw 6IP, allowing just 4H/0ER, 8K:2BB, with six groundouts to one fly out. In the 23 batters Tropeano faced, he either got a groundout or a strikeout on 14 of them. Nathan Pettus took the loss with 4H/3R (2ER), 2K:1BB in 3IP.
Delino DeShields was 1x3 with a walk and his 5th SB of the season; Zach Johnson drew two walks, and Roberto Pena had the only XBH of the game, with a double.
Man of the Match: Nick Tropeano
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
