Hooks edge Cards 7-6 in 10 after late rain delay

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Nearly five hours after the game began, the Corpus Christi Hooks (18-19, 51-55) edged the Springfield Cardinals (20-17, 50-57) 7-6 in 10 innings on Monday night at Hammons Field.

The official game time was three hours and 44 minutes, but a one-hour-and-four-minute rain delay at a key moment in the eighth pushed the game towards the five-hour mark.

DECISIONS:
W: RHP Erasmo Pinales (1-1)
L: RHP Bryan Dobzanski (1-1)
S: RHP Carlos Sanabria (1)

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED:
- The Hooks drove their inherited extra-inning runner home with one out in the 10th on barely fair double by 2B Abraham Toro off Dobzanski. As the runner began the inning on second, the run was unearned.

- Cardinals 3B Elehuris Montero tied the game 6-6 with a two-run blast in the bottom of the eighth. Two batters later and in a driving rain, 2B Irving Lopez tripled to the corner in right and was nearly waved home to attempt an inside-the-park home run before receiving the stop sign while rounding third. LF Lars Nootbaar came to the plate next, but with a 1-2 count the umpires signaled for the tarp.

- The Hooks took a 6-3 lead with back-to-back-to-back solo home runs in the sixth inning off Cardinals RHP Tommy Parsons.

- Cardinals CF Dylan Carlson's league-leading 18th home run of the season came in the bottom of the fifth and tied the game 3-3, scoring SS Rayder Ascanio.

NOTABLES:
- Cardinals RF Justin Toerner homered for the second straight game and finished the game 2-for-3.

- Parsons allowed six runs on five home runs and six hits over 5.2 innings, striking out five and walking one.

- The Cardinals bullpen didn't allow an earned run after Parsons was relieved by RHP Will Latcham in the sixth.

- Cardinals SS Rayder Ascanio was ejected from the game in the 10th inning after Hooks pitcher Erasmo Pinales reportedly uttered obsceneties at the Cardinals shortstop. Pinales was not ejected for the initiation and both benches were warned.

WHAT'S ON DECK:
-The Cardinals close their four-game series with the Corpus Christi Hooks on Tuesday with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and gates opening at 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday is a Great Southern Bank $1 Dog Day.

Tuesday is also the Cardinals and Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield School Supply Drive, benefiting The Foundation for Springfield Public Schools. All fans who donate the following items can purchase a $1 ticket to Tuesday's game for each item donated:

- 24-count Crayola crayons
- 12-count Crayola washable markers
- Wide-ruled composition books
- Wide-ruled spiral notebooks
- 12-count Crayola colored pencils
- Expo dry erase markers, black
- 1" binders with front pocket
- Earbuds