Melton Homers Again, Hooks Shutdown Drillers

Box Score

TULSA - Jacob Melton went deep for the fifth time in a span of six games as the Hooks won, 7-1, Wednesday afternoon at ONEOK Field.

Corpus Christi is 10-2 in its last 12 contests.

A.J. Blubaugh blanked Tulsa over the first four innings, striking out five against two walks and a bunt base hit. Blubaugh has posted a 1.26 ERA in four Double-A contests.

The Hooks netted him three runs in the third. C.J. Stubbs and Bryan Arias singled and walked to start the inning. One out later, Zach Daniels bounced one through the right side for a 1-0 lead. A base hit by Melton followed, with Daniels later scoring on a passed ball, upping the advance to 3-0.

Logan VanWey picked up the victory by striking out two in a perfect fifth. VanWey has fanned five of six batters while logging back-to-back outings to start the week.

The Drillers managed a run in the sixth, their lone marker on eight hits (7 singles) over 18 innings in the series.

CC answered by sending seven men to bat in the seventh. Daniels' RBI groundout cashed in a double steal after the Arias and Will Wagner reached. Melton, who rocketed a 427-foot grand slam to center on Tuesday, belted a 409-foot shot into the right-centerfield pen for a 2-run poke and a 6-1 bulge.

Melton is hitting .423 (11x26) with a double, five home runs and 12 RBIs in his last six games.

Daniels capped the afternoon in the ninth with his 13 home run of the year, completing a 3-RBI day.

Tyler Brown blanked the Drillers in the seventh and eighth, with Ray Gaither working around a pair of walks in the ninth.