Riders hang on for 7-6 triumph over Hooks in series finale

FRISCO, Texas (August 6, 2017) - With a quality start from Richelson Peña and a hefty dose of run support, the Frisco RoughRiders, the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, held on for a 7-6 win over the Corpus Christi Hooks Sunday at Dr Pepper Ballpark.
BIG MOMENTS

• Leading 4-2 entering the bottom of the seventh, Eric Aguilera and Juremi Profar homered to extend the Frisco lead to 7-2.
• The home runs added valuable insurance, as the Hooks scored four times in the eighth to close within a run at 7-6. Jamie Ritchie completed the first cycle in Hooks history with a three-run triple to highlight the frame.
• Richelson Pena made his first start of the season with the Riders and delivered a quality start, allowing one run on five hits in six innings of work. He escaped a jam with runners on the corners and nobody out in the fourth inning to preserve a 1-1 tie.
• The Riders broke the 1-1 tie with three unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth. A throwing error by Hooks starter Yoanys Quiala brought in two runs, and a fielding error by Ryne Birk made it 4-1.

KEY RIDERS PERFORMERS

• Richelson Pena: W, 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
• Jose Cardona: 2-4, RBI, run
• Eric Aguilera: 1-4, home run, two RBIs
• Juremi Profar: 1-3, home run, RBI, walk, two runs

NEWS AND NOTES

• The Riders have won two games in a row in the wake of a six-game losing streak.
• Frisco pitching struck out nine more batters Sunday and finished the four-game series with 43 punchouts.
• With a quality start from Richelson Pena, the Riders have now received five consecutive quality starts.
• Sunday's game ended a string of 26 games in 26 days across the Texas League.

WHAT'S NEXT
Riders at Arkansas, Tuesday, 7:10 p.m.
Probables: RHP Ariel Jurado (8-9, 4.71 ERA) vs. RHP Bryan Evans (0-1, 12.60 ERA)
Video: MiLB.tv
Audio: RidersBaseball.com, TuneIn Radio App, MiLB First Pitch App
About the RoughRiders
The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and play their games at beautiful Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas. The team was founded in 2003 and has finished first among all Double-A franchises in attendance in each of the last 12 seasons (2005-2016). In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. The new ownership group, together with the city of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise improvements over the past two seasons, investing nearly $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a new state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, InTouch Grille, Riders Outpost Team Store, and the newest and biggest creation, the 174-foot Choctaw Lazy River. The upgrades made prior to the 2015 season earned the Riders and the City of Frisco "Best Ballpark Renovation" of 2015 by Ballpark Digest. The same publication also honored the Choctaw Lazy River as the best ballpark improvement over $1 million for the 2016 season. More than 130 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball, including All-Stars Chris Davis, Adrián González, Ian Kinsler, and Nelson Cruz, as well as current Rangers stars Elvis Andrus, Rougned Odor and Nomar Mazara. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders and Dr Pepper Ballpark, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact Art Garcia at [email protected] or Ryan Rouillard at [email protected].