Wild Night Goes to the Hooks

MIDLAND – Justin Dirden scored from second base on a sac fly and Grae Kessinger belted a three-run home run in the 12th inning Friday night as the Hooks prevailed in a 15-11 victory over the RockHounds before 3,656 fans at Momentum Bank Ballpark.

Midland rallied from a seven-run, third-inning deficit to pull ahead, 10-9, heading into the eighth. With two away in the frame, Enmanuel Valdez blistered an 0-2 pitch from Nick Highberger off the top of the 12-foot wall in straightaway centerfield. The 410-foot double chased home Ross Adolph from first to square the score at 10.

The RockHounds countered Corpus Christi’s marker in the 11th but was forced to use first baseman William Simoneit on the mound in the 12th. Cesar Salazar opened the inning by launching a deep fly ball onto the track in center field, 405 feet way from home plate. Dirden, the Hooks automatic runner, sprinted all the way home from second base for a 12-11 lead. Three batters later, Kessinger sent a 2-2 pitch over the 15-foot wall in left for a three-run dinger to salt the victory.

Layne Henderson was the pitcher of record for Corpus Christi as he authored three innings of one-hit baseball in extras. Joe Record blanked the Hounds in the eighth and ninth.

Valdez and Diaz each went 4-for-6 to pace the Hooks 18-hit attack. Wilyer Abreu and Adolph went deep for the first time in 2022 with two-run shots in the second and third, respectively. Both men scored three runs on the night with Adolph, thanks to four walks, reaching base five times.

Dirden doubled in his first two at-bats, including a two-run, two-bagger in the third that ignited a six-run frame.

With the series level at 2, Corpus Christi and Midland meet in a 5:05 doubleheader Saturday. Cody Deason and lefty Julio Robaina are slated to pitch for the Hooks.