truebluefan

Ray Winder Field, Little Rock, AR - 3B Matt Brown finished 4-for-4 with 10 total bases and three RBI to lead the Arkansas Travelers (11-11, 35-56) to a 6-5 comeback victory over the Corpus Christi Hooks (14-8, 55-37). With three doubles and a home run (12), Brown had his second four-hit game of the season both against the Hooks. The Travs trailed 5-3 going into the bottom of the seventh, but they manufactured an unearned run and Brown began the eighth with his third double sparking a two-run rally. Travs DH Greg Porter smacked the tying RBI single and finished 2-for-4, while SS Brandon Wood hit a double and scored twice. Arkansas LHP Daniel Davidson (2-7) earned the win with 2.2 shutout innings in relief of RHP Nick Green who allowed five runs on ten hits in 6.1 innings. Corpus Christi got home runs by 3B Mark Saccomanno (7) and 2B Jonny Ash (1), but Saccomanno also committed two errors and the Hooks allowed two unearned runs. The Travs have won 10 of 16 games including three of five on the current home stand.

Each team managed a two-out run in the first inning. The Hooks got an RBI single from C J.R. House to bring home Hunter Pence.

After Hooks starter RHP Ronnie Martinez struck out the first two Travs of the game, Wood and Brown connected on back-to-back doubles to tie the game, at 1-1.

The Travs took the lead in the third inning and again it was Wood and Brown doing the damage after two outs. This time Martinez walked Wood before Brown lined a double off the left-field wall for a 2-1 Travs lead.

Green had set down seven straight hitters until Pence began the fourth with a double to left field. House moved Pence to third with a fly out to deep left, and he scored when 1B Walter Young lined a single to right field for a 2-2 tie.

Corpus Christi regained the lead in the fifth inning when Saccomanno powered a one-out home run to left field for a 3-2 Hooks advantage.

Once again it was Brown who brought the Travs to a tie score when he led off the sixth with a home run to left field for a 3-3 tie.

Green came back for the top of the seventh and fell behind Ash 2-0 and he lined a home run to right field for a 4-3 Hooks lead. After Green struck out Saccomanno, SS Wade Robinson stroked a triple to the center field wall and Arkansas Pitching Coach Ken Patterson visited the mound. Travs Manager Ty Boykin also went to the hill after Patterson, but was prevented from changing pitchers because of rule 8.06 that does not allow two visits to the mound with the same batter at the plate. Green stayed in the game and allowed Josh Anderson's bloop single to left to score Robinson for a 5-3 Hooks lead. Davidson then came on in relief and loaded the bases on a single by Jorge Cortes and a walk to Pence. House then hit a fly ball to left field that was caught by LF Nathan Haynes. Anderson trotted to the plate and Cortes attempted to advance to third. Haynes threw to third base with Brown applying the tag of Cortes for the third out just before Anderson touched the plate nullifying the run.

Martinez was replaced by Rollandini for the seventh and he recorded two quick outs before Haynes drew a walk and swiped second base. Dwaine Bacon then laid down a bunt hit that hugged the third-base line. Saccomanno charged, bare-handed and threw wild past first base bringing home Haynes to cut the Hooks lead to 5-4. Bacon advanced to second on the error, but Wood lined out to center to end the inning.

Davidson pitched around a two-out double by Ash in the eighth setting up the Travs in the bottom of the eighth.

Brown started the winning rally with a fly ball off the right-field wall for a double and moved to third base when Travs RF Terry Evans grounded out to second base. With the Hooks infield playing up, Porter shot a grounder into right field to score Brown with the tying run. Then Porter ran for second as Rollandini deal to Wilson and he chopped the ball through the right side and into the outfield. As Porter hustled to third base, Pence misplayed the ball in right field and Porter scored the winning run.

Time of game was 2:29 and the paid attendance was 3,218.

The Travs and Hooks conclude their season series Saturday night with a doubleheader. In game one the Travs send RHP Jose Arredondo (1-0, 1.93 ERA) against Corpus Christi RHP Josh Miller (7-7, 3.84 ERA). In the nightcap, the Travs have not announced a starting pitcher while the Hooks will go with LHP Josh Muecke (0-4, 11.35 ERA). First pitch will be thrown at 6:30 p.m. and the gates open at 5:30 p.m.