CORPUS CHRISTI - Bryce Mayer struck out nine over a season-high six innings Saturday night as the Hooks blanked Amarillo, 2-0, before 4,713 fans at Whataburger Field.
Corpus Christi has won, 2-0, in back-to-back games, including the seven-inning finale of Friday's twin bill.
Mayer, who matched his season-high for Ks, has allowed only 1 run over his last five performances. In this span, the 24-year-old right-hander is 3-0 with a 0.36 ERA, striking out 32 against nine walks and 11 hits in 24 2/3 innings.
Mayer, toting a 2.86 ERA in 16 appearances this season, permitted one free pass and three hits on Saturday, with only one of those knocks leaving the infield.
Mayer's batterymate Walker Janek put the Hooks on the board with a no-doubt blast to center in the second. The solo home run was his third of the season, carrying an exit velocity of 107 MPH.
Janek, returning from a 10-week stay on the IL, is hitting .467 (7x15) with a double, two home runs, and four RBIs over a four-game hitting streak.
Yamal Encarnacion and Trevor Austin combined to go 3-for-5 with three walks from the top two spots in the lineup. The duo combined for Corpus Christi's second run in the third as Encarnacion singled and swiped second before scampering home on Austin's liner into left-center.
Nic Swanson struck out three in two perfect innings of relief. Alex Santos II picked up his second save by working around a two-out walk in the ninth.