The Corpus Christi Hooks lost their fourth straight game

CORPUS CHRISTI — SPRINGFIELD, Mo. —The Corpus Christi Hooks lost their fourth straight game and seventh of their past 10 after being swept by Springfield on Friday. The Hooks (17-30) fell to Springfield 12-4 at Hammons Field.

Jonnathan Aristil (2-3) was tagged with the loss. After a few solid innings, the righty ran into big trouble in the fourth and fifth innings. Aristil lasted 4.1 innings, giving up eight hits and eight earned runs. He struck out seven and walked three.

It was a quick start for the Hooks as shortstop Jimmy Paredes doubled with one out in the top of the first and Jon Gaston followed by reaching on a fielder's choice on an off-balance throw from shortstop Ryan Jackson to try and get Paredes at third. Jimmy VanOstrand drove home Paredes with a single to center. Jacob Goebbert followed with a single to load the bases, but the Hooks couldn't capitalize.

The Cardinals answered in the second as Alex Castellanos singled and Zack Cox drew a walk before Chris Swauger followed with an RBI single to tie the game.

The Hooks regained the lead in the third when Paredes hit his second double of the game to drive in Aristil. Van Ostrand delivered a sacrifice fly that scored Brandon Wikoff and give the Hooks a 3-1 advantage.

Audry Perez dropped in a bloop single to score a run. Then, with two outs Aristil gave up a base hit to pitcher Michael Blazek. That allowed leadoff batter Jose Garcia to come to the plate, and he made the Hooks pay with a line drive homer that put the Cardinals up 5-3.

The Cardinals added four more runs in the fifth, chasing Aristil in the process. Springfield tacked on two more in the sixth to take an insurmountable 11-3 lead.

With the bases full, pinch hitter T.J. Steele hit a hard line drive that looked like a base hit, but Jackson was able to leap high and snag it out of the air for the out. Wikoff followed with a walk to bring in a run, but Paredes was retired to end the threat.

E — Goebbert (2), Jackson (6), Cox (2). LOB — Corpus Christi 18, Springfield 8. 2B — Paredes 2 (12), Gaston (9), Blazek (1). 3B — Pham (2). HR — Garcia (2), Swauger (3), Hill (3). SB — Pham (3), Hill (1).