Early Long Balls & Arrighetti Carry CC

Box Score

NORTH LITTLE ROCK - C.J. Stubbs and Joey Loperfido lifted home runs in the third while Spencer Arrighetti delivered another sterling start as the Hooks beat the Travelers, 6-3, before 7,674 fans Friday night at Dickey-Stephens Park.

Arkansas and Corpus Christi have traded wins over the first four games of the series.

The Hooks broke a scoreless stalemate by scoring four times in the third inning. Stubbs belted the first pitch of the frame out to the video board in left for his sixth home run of the season. Drew Gilbert and Kenedy Corona followed with singles before Loperfido banged an 0-2 pitch off the back of the bullpen in right for a three-run home run, his second long ball of the set.

Loperfido reached three more times thanks to two singles and a walk. He scored in both the fifth and seventh thanks to a pair of two-out hits by Zach Dezenzo. Dezenzo, who leads Minor League Baseball with a .389 batting average, went 2-for-5 with double in the contest.

Loperfido ranks second in the Astros system in home runs and RBIs, clubbing 11 homers while plating in 41 in 52 games.

In striking out nine against five baserunners, Arrighetti picked his seventh win, which is tied for the Texas League lead. The two knocks against him came in the fifth, his final frame. At one point, Arrighetti retired nine in a row with a stretch of six consecutive outs coming via strikeouts.

Arkansas mounted a rally in the fifth as an infield single by Riley Unroe loaded the bases for the top of the order. Arrighetti answered by breezing Jonatan Clase to end the threat, while preserving a 6-0 edge.

Peyton Plumlee worked the final four innings for his second save in three tries.