Hooks silence Missions 7-2

By Yourwellness Last updated Jun 16, 2014 9

A Father’s Day matinee between the Hooks and Missions started off nicely for the home team but ended up being a runaway for the visitors. The Missions jumped out on top early, using a walk, two hits, and a sacrifice fly to plate a pair of runs in the first inning. But that would be all of the offense the Missions could muster against David Rollins and Tyson Perez.

Prevailing winds blowing in from right-centerfield shaped the strategies of the ballgame. Small-ball was the order of the day at Nelson Wolff Stadium. This contest featured more bunting than a Japanese All-Star Game.

The Hooks scored twice in the fourth inning to tie the game. A squeeze bunt by Delino DeShields was made possible by shortstop Brian Bixler‘s error earlier in the inning. The Hooks scored another unearned run in the fifth when a ground ball bounced off the glove of 2B Adam Buschini.

Meanwhile, Hooks starting pitcher David Rollins was in the process of mowing down 15 straight Missions batters. Yeison Asencio finally broke the streak with a single to right-center with one out in the sixth. But Asencio was promptly erased on a double-play grounder off the bat of Rymer Liriano.

Rollins then gave way to right-hander Tyson Perez. Perez would allow only one hitter to reach base over the final three innings of the game. A leadoff walk in the ninth would be neutralized by a game-ending double-play grounder, meaning Hooks pitchers faced the minimum of 24 batters over the last eight innings.

Delino DeShields drove in two more runs in the eighth with a lie drive single that should have been caught by left-fielder Lee Orr. Telvin Nash showed that he can hit the ball out of any park by launching a 2-run shot to centerfield in the ninth, putting the exclamation point on a 7-2 win for the Hooks.