CORPUS CHRISTI - Amarillo held the Hooks to three hits while belting three home runs, including two by Gavin Conticello, to take Thursday night, 6-1, before 3,131 fans at Whataburger Field.
Ashton Izzi, Antonio Menendez, Alec Baker, and Casey Anderson teamed to retire 19 in a row to send the Sod Poodles to a 2-1 series lead.
The home marker came in the second. Joseph Sullivan was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Trevor Austin worked a one-out walk and Garret Guillemette followed by sending a base hit up the middle for a 1-0 Corpus Christi lead.
The Hooks had one man reach the rest of the way, a Max Holy single in the third.
Including Will Bush's lead-off double in the first, CC posted three runners in scoring position.
Rehabbing Astro Jake Meyers, appearing for the second time in three days with Corpus Christi, played the full game in center field.
Hooks starter James Hicks dispatched six of the first seven before Conticello hit the first pitch of the third just over the fence in left for an opposite-field home run.
Hicks stranded a walk in the third and blanked Amarillo in the fourth. He left the game after the first two reached in the fifth via a single and mishandled fielder's choice at second.
Jean Walters greeted Amilcar Chirinos by pulling a three-run home run into the visiting bullpen in right field.
Conticello completed his second career two-homer game with another salvo to the berm in left opposite Trey McLoughlin in the sixth.
McLoughlin responded by dispatching seven of the next eight to finish his outing.
Railin Perez pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for CC.