Back-to-Back Midland Wins Open Series

Box Score

CORPUS CHRISTI – Counting long balls by Wilyer Abreu and Justin Dirden, the Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits made a late push Wednesday night, but fell to Midland, 8-6, before 3,148 fans at Whataburger Field.

The RockHounds have won seven of their last nine while CC has dropped five of six.

Jimmy Endersby ran into poor luck in the first as Midland made it 2-0 on a walk and three hits, including two flares into right field. Jordan Diaz’s two-out solo blast in the third gave the visitors a 3-0 lead.

Corpus Christi cut it to 3-2 in the fourth, breaking through against lefty Hogan Harris who retired 11 of the first 13 men he faced. Will Wagner was hit by a pitch and scampered home when Alex McKenna tripled into the right field corner. Cesar Salazar plated McKenna with a single into center.

Brett Harris, who homered and drove in three runs in Monday’s series opener, hit a three-run home run that just cleared the fence at 320 feet as the Hounds played add-on in the fifth at 6-2.

Shay Whitcomb’s wall-banging double to left handed CC its third marker in the home half.

Abreu’s two-run, opposite-field blast in the sixth against Zach Plunkett made it a one-run game at 6-5.

Midland would then strike for more insurance in the eighth by plating at pair with Freylin Garcia on the hill.

With one away and the bases clear in the ninth, Dirden gave the faithful hope with a 368-foot drive to the left of the batter’s eye, his team-leading 13th homer of the season. Bryce Conley countered by retiring the next two hitter for his third save.

The Hooks plan to pitch Cody Deason in Thursday’s 6:35 tilt.