Back-to-Back Blasts Set Stage for Win at Hodgetown

AMARILLO – For the second time in the last five games, J.J. Matijevic and Norel González connected on consecutive home runs, forging a four-run third as the Hooks knocked off the Sod Poodles, 8-3, before 6,312 fans at Hodgetown.

Corpus Christi, having won five of the last six, is 10-6 since May 25.

Nine-hole hitter Carlos Machado, making his Double-A debut, cracked a double to begin the third. Marty Costes was then plunked by the first pitch from Matt Tabor to put a pair on for Matijevic, who clubbed an opposite-field three-run shot to left to hand the Hooks a 3-2 lead and extend his hitting streak to a club-best 11 games.

Matijevic is now tied for the Double-A Central lead with 24 RBIs, and his nine home runs are third in the loop. The left-handed slugger is batting .354 with 16 runs, three doubles, seven home runs and 22 RBIs in his last 16 games.

After the Matijevic bomb, González sent the very next pitch onto the berm in right for his eighth home run of the year. González has notched three homers and 12 RBIs in his last five games.

Jonathan Bermudez kept the Sod Poodles at-bay over the first four frames. The home club managed a run off Bermudez in the second as the first three reached base. The lefty countered by retiring seven of the final nine he faced.

CC added two in the fifth to make it a 6-2 game. Grae Kessinger was hit by a Tabor pitch with the bases loaded, and C.J. Stubbs followed up with a two-out RBI single.

González collected another RBI in the sixth before Stubbs’ capped the scoring, with a two-out RBI knock in the ninth, capitalizing on a Kessinger double. It was the third of three straight singles by Stubbs.

Kyle Serrano (1-0) picked up his first Double-A win after allowing one run over two frames. Colin McKee stranded four on base across two innings, escaping a bases loaded jam in the eighth.

Felipe Tejada nailed down the triumph by working around a two-out single in the ninth.

The Hooks, who have won eight of 10 against Amarillo, plan to send Hunter Brown to the hill Saturday night. The Sod Poodles list lefty Tyler Holton as their starting pitcher. First pitch 7:05.