CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Brice Matthews cracked a two-out, bases-clearing double as part of a seven-run fourth inning Tuesday night, with the Hooks knocking off Springfield, 10-1, before 4,229 fans at Whataburger Field.
Matthews, Houston's first-round pick from 2023, reached base in his first three Double-A plate appearances as Corpus Christi engineered its most lopsided win of the season.
After walking in the first, Matthews opened the fourth with an infield single and promptly stole second and third. Edwin Nuñez, who had set down 11 of the first 13 Hooks, could not finish the frame. Corpus Christi coaxed four walks, with Miguel Palma plunked by a bases-loaded pitch, before Nuñez left the hill.
Wilfredo Pereira walked the first man he faced before Matthews seared a double inside the bag at third to plate three and cement the seven-run outburst. All of the damage came with two outs.
Jacob Melton and Zach Dezenzo teamed for back-to-back doubles in the seventh, helping to spark a three-run frame. It marked the first action for Dezenzo outside of the Florida Complex League.
Like Dezenzo, Palma was activated from the IL on Tuesday, and pitched in with a two-out, two-run single to fashion the 10-1 bulge.
After allowing a first-inning run, Tyler Guilfoil blanked the Cards in the second, third and fourth. Guilfoil retired the lead-off hitter in the fifth before exiting due to a pitch count of 79.
Brayan De Paula (1.2), Alejandro Torres (1.1), Cesar Gomez (0.2) and Walker Brockhouse (1.0) pieced together 4 2/3 scoreless innings from the Corpus Christi bullpen.
