Missions Clip Cubs

DES MOINES--Adrian Houser pitched and hit his way to victory Monday night as the Missions (15-9) shaded the Iowa Cubs, 4-3, in the series opener at Principal Park.
Houser worked five innings in his return from a big league start with Milwaukee and clubbed his first career homerun while also surviving a potentially disastrous third inning.
Lucas Erceg hit a prodigious homerun to right in the seventh inning off Carl Edwards, Jr., as San Antonio improved to 14-5 in games in which they've homered.
Taylor Williams tossed a season-high two innings to notch his second save. Williams pitched out of ninth inning trouble by stranding a pair of runners after Ian Happ tapped back to the mound for the final out of the game.
Houser needed 30 pitches to get thru the third inning but limited the damage to just a single run.
After striking out the first two Iowa hitters to start the frame, Houser allowed four straight batters to reach on a pair of walks and two singles before inducing an inning-ending groundout.
San Antonio overcame a pair of one-run deficits before taking the lead for good in the sixth inning, courtesy of an rbi-double off the bat of Tyrone Taylor that hit high off the 18-foot wall in left field.
NOTES: Williams allowed a ninth inning run, but Mission relievers have recorded a 1.09 ERA over the last 10 games while fashioning a 40-to-3 strikeout to walk split, all while surrendering just 22 hits....San Antonio-area native Blake Allemand made his debut for the club after being inserted as part of a double switch. He walked and grounded out in two plate appearances. Allemand grew up in nearby Boerne.
NEXT: RH Burch Smith (2-0, 0.42) vs. Colin Rea (2-0, 3.97) 6:38 PM
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