Laureano Lowers Boom on Travs

Corpus Christi, TX-The Arkansas Travelers had their three game win streak snapped as the Corpus Christi Hooks, led by a five hit night from Ramón Laureano rallied for a 6-5 win on Sunday night.
               After trailing early by two runs, the Travs came back on the strength of two homers from switch-hitter Marcus Littlewood, his fourth and fifth of the season. In the fourth inning, batting left-handed, Littlewood took a Cy Sneed pitch out to right field for a three-run shot to put the Travs on top. Two innings later with game tied, Littlewood came up as a right handed hitter against Framber Valdez and belted a two-run shot to left to again give Arkansas the lead. 
It was the second two homerun game of Littlewood's seven year pro career but the first time he had homered from both sides of the plate in the same contest. The five RBIs matched Littlewood's career high, the fourth time he has achieved that feat and second in 2017.
               But it would not be enough as the Hooks offense was potent throughout the night. Corpus Christi registered at least one hit in each of the first seven innings and had at least one runner in scoring position in all but one of those frames. Ramon Laureano singled home a run in the sixth cutting the Trav lead to one.
               They would complete the rally an inning later. With a runner at second and two out in the seventh, Arutro Michelena's groundball to second was not handled by Jeff Kobernus and the tying run came racing around. That brought up Laureano who smoked a triple through the right-center field gap for his fifth hit of the night driving in the go-ahead and eventual game winning run. Laureano was a perfect 5-5 on the night with two doubles, the triple and three runs batted in. He is 7-9 through the first two games of the series with five extra base hits.
               Framber Valdez took it from there and closed it out for the Hooks. He pitched the final four innings and earned the win to improve his record to 2-1. Peter Tago (0-3) was charged with the loss after allowing the two unearned runs in the seventh.
               Kyle Waldrop and Nelson Ward joined Littlewood with multi-hit nights for the Travs. Rehabbing major leaguer Shae Simmons made his first appearance with Arkansas facing five hitters and surrendering a run on two hits and a walk while getting a pair of strikeouts.
               The rubber match of the series is Monday night at 7:05. Right-hander Brett Ash (5-7, 6.17) gets the ball for the Travs against righty Colin McHugh who starts on a Major League Rehab Assignment for the Hooks. The game will be broadcast on the Sports Animal 920, the First Pitch App, TuneIn radio and milb.tv.