CORPUS CHRISTI (JUNE 17, 2026) — The San Antonio Missions earned a nailbiting 4-3 win over the Corpus Christi Hooks in game one of their doubleheader, before falling 7-4 in the nightcap at Whataburger Field.
Tirso Ornelas got the Missions started with a bang in the series opener. After Ryan Jackson singled and Ethan Salas walked in the first, Ornelas launched a three-run homer to put San Antonio ahead 3-0.
In the second, Corpus Christi responded with three runs of their own on only one hit. After a single and two hit by pitches, the Hooks scored each of their runs on a wild pitch, RBI groundout and sacrifice fly.
After that, Missions starter Eric Yost was dominant. He allowed just two hits across six innings, inducing six groundball outs. It marked the second time this season that the right-hander has thrown six innings.
In the seventh, the Missions broke the 3-3 deadlock. A Salas walk, Romeo Sanabria single and a Tirso Ornelas base on balls loaded the bases. Braedon Karpathios then drew a walk of his own, forcing in Salas from third to make it 4-3.
Josh Mallitz pitched a scoreless seventh inning to seal the one-run victory. The right-hander picked up his third save of the season, and has allowed just two earned runs across his last 20 innings.
San Antonio got their offense going early once again in game two, striking for three runs in the second. After a Tirso Ornelas double, Braedon Karpathios ripped a long ball to left-center to put San Antonio in front 2-0. Two batters later, Francisco Acuna followed it up with a solo home run to push the lead to 3-0.
The Hooks got two runs right back in the bottom of the second. Tyler Whitaker drove in Joseph Sullivan with a sacrifice fly, before a wild pitch allowed Max Holy to score.
In the fourth, Corpus Christi took the lead. After walks to Jax Biggers and Whitaker, Lucas Spence lined a two-run double to right-center.
The home squad added three more runs in the fifth. With runners at second and third, Harry Gustin fielded a Biggers groundball and threw the ball into right field. That allowed two runs to score and Biggers to end up at third. He scored on a wild pitch in the ensuing at-bat to make it a 7-3 Hooks lead.
Acuña helped the Missions get a run back in the sixth inning. He tripled with one out, then scored on a Kai Murphy RBI groundout. The shortstop was 2-for-3 with a triple and a home run.
In the seventh however, Nic Swanson held San Antonio in check with a scoreless frame, securing a 7-4 win for the Hooks.
Up Next:
The Missions continue their series Thursday with the Corpus Christi Hooks at Whataburger Field. First pitch on Thursday is at 6:35 p.m. Catch all the action on Country Legends KKYX, 680 AM, 104.9 FM and kkyx.com. Tickets are available at samissions.com or by calling 210-675-7275.