Big Innings Power Naturals in Opener
Box Score CORPUS CHRISTI, TX - Northwest Arkansas employed a pair of big innings Tuesday night, downing the Hooks, 8-2, before 3,141 fans in the second-half opener at Whataburger Field. Both of Corpus Christi's runs came courtesy of the big fly. Trevor Austin sent a 1-2 curveball from Shane Panzini
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX - Northwest Arkansas employed a pair of big innings Tuesday night, downing the Hooks, 8-2, before 3,141 fans in the second-half opener at Whataburger Field.
Both of Corpus Christi's runs came courtesy of the big fly. Trevor Austin sent a 1-2 curveball from Shane Panzini over the fence in left to start the home first. Austin, accounting for the fourth lead-off home run by a Hook this season, has hit safely in six of his last eight games, with four doubles, one triple, and two homers.
Right off the bat, Trevor Austin hits a HOMERUN! pic.twitter.com/wmh6x6JAip
— Corpus Christi Hooks (@cchooks) June 24, 2025
Prior to tripling in the sixth, Zach Cole went deep in the fourth. Cole's sixth long ball in 38 games with the Hooks was a missile to straightaway center field that jumped off his bat at 110 MPH.
And it's GONE! Zach Cole hits a home run! pic.twitter.com/igMcrw27Z6
— Corpus Christi Hooks (@cchooks) June 25, 2025
Manuel Urias became the third Corpus Christi pitcher to work into the seventh this season, permitting four runs over a Double-A best 6 1/3 innings.
Urias, who has completed five innings in each of his last six starts, dispatched six of the first seven before running into a road block in the third. The Naturals sent seven men to the plate, scoring three runs on four hits and a walk.
After Northwest Arkansas lined into a double play to finish the inning, Urias bounced back by yielding only one base runner from the fourth through the sixth. The 24-year-old from Sinaloa, Mexico had retired 11 of 12 before Justin Johnson homered with one away in the seventh, ending Urias' night.
The Naturals added three more in the seventh against Amilcar Chirinos.
Brett Squires contributed two-run doubles in the both the third and seventh for Northwest Arkansas.
Following five sharp innings by Panzini, three Naturals relievers teamed to keep the Hooks at bay.
John Garcia recorded a knock in the eighth and ninth, with Bryce Willits reaching base three times thanks to a pair of walks and a seventh-inning single.