AMARILLO - Three ninth-inning home runs paved the way to a 9-8 Sod Poodles win in 10 innings Saturday night at Hodgetown.
Corpus Christi, ahead 7-3 entering the ninth, dropped its first road series since the start of May with Amarillo capturing four of the five games on the week.
The Hooks built a 6-1 lead thanks to three-spots in the first and second. Jason Schiavone capitalized on a lead-off single by Justin Thomas Jr. and a Trevor Austin walk by blasting a 3-1 cutter over the fence in center. Schiavone's 30th home run of the season is his fifth on the series and his seventh circuit clout in a span of 10 games.
The first four reached in the Corpus Christi second thanks to singles by Hector Salas and Austin and free passes walks by Alberto Hernandez and Thomas. Austin's knock to center rendered his team-leading 54th RBI.
Amarillo starter Wellington Aracena righted the ship by retiring 12 of the final 13 men he faced.
Upon Aracena's exit, the Hooks reached the scoreboard again with a lead-off home run by Alejandro Nuñez in the sixth. Nuñez's first Double-A blast is his 12th home run of the season.
Nolan DeVos, posting a 2.73 ERA in seven Texas League assignments, was charged with two earned runs over 2 1/3 innings.
Nic Swanson provided the bulk out of Corpus Christi's bullpen, blanking the Sod Poodles from the third thru the fifth.
Railin Perez permitted only one hit and struck out three in two scoreless frames.
Amilcar Chirinos pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, fanning a pair.
Thomas, who reached base three times from the Hooks lead-off position, is batting .333 with nine runs scored and six RBIs over a seven-game hit streak. The 22-year-old from Savanah, GA has been aboard in each of his 11 Texas League games.