Braedon Karpathios kept putting San Antonio’s comeback in motion until, in the eighth inning, he finally brought it all the way home.
Down five runs after Midland had spent the first half of Friday night stacking hits at Nelson Wolff Stadium, the Missions rode Karpathios’ two biggest swings to an 8-7 win over the RockHounds. His two-run double in the fifth changed the shape of the game. His two-run single in the eighth finished it, keeping San Antonio alive in the playoff race with one of its sharpest rallies of the season.
Karpathios went 3-for-5 with two doubles and four RBIs, the last two coming after Midland had taken back the lead and forced the Missions to answer one more time.
Luis Verdugo singled to right with one out in the eighth against Kenya Huggins, and Wyatt Hoffman followed with a single to left. After Alex McCoy walked against Will Johnston, Karpathios sent a ground ball through the right side. Verdugo scored easily, Hoffman came around behind him and slid home headfirst ahead of the throw, turning a one-run deficit into San Antonio’s first lead of the night.
That was the kind of game it had become by then: every time Midland seemed to have the stronger grip, San Antonio found another at-bat.
The Missions trailed 6-1 after the top of the fifth. Midland had gotten to Fernando Sanchez early, starting with Jared Sprague-Lott’s first-inning triple and Euribiel Angeles’ sacrifice fly, then widening the lead in the second when Ali Camarillo lined a two-run double down the left-field line. Camarillo, who went 3-for-6 with a double and three RBIs, helped Midland keep pushing, and CJ Rodriguez added a 4-for-5 night with a double, an RBI and two runs.
San Antonio’s first real jolt came from Tirso Ornelas in the fourth. Corey Avant had held the Missions hitless until Ornelas drove a ball deep to right-center, sending Pedro Pineda back to the wall before it cleared for Ornelas’ 16th homer. It made the score 4-1 and gave the home crowd something to work with, even if Midland answered with two more runs in the fifth.
Then the Missions made the game feel different in a hurry.
Verdugo walked, Hoffman singled and Brendan Durfee walked in the fifth before Midland went to Stevie Emanuels. Karpathios attacked the first pitch he saw and drove a double into center, scoring Verdugo and Hoffman while Durfee moved to third. The swing cut Midland’s lead to 6-3 and gave San Antonio its first sustained pressure of the night.
Two batters later, after Albert Fabian popped out, Ornelas ripped another first pitch down the right-field side. Karpathios scored, Ornelas reached second with his 32nd double, and the five-run hole had become a one-run game. Ornelas finished 2-for-5 with the homer, the double and two RBIs.
That rally also changed the burden on the Missions’ bullpen. Carlos Medina followed with two scoreless innings, working around traffic in the sixth and getting help in the seventh when Camarillo lined into a double play after Rodriguez had singled. Medina’s bridge gave San Antonio enough time to finish climbing back.
Karpathios started the seventh with a ground-rule double to left-center against Huggins. Fabian struck out, and Ornelas moved Karpathios to third with a groundout before Romeo Sanabria punched a ground ball up the middle. Karpathios scored, and the game was tied at six.
Midland still had one more swing. In the eighth, Nate Nankil singled with one out against Josh Mallitz, and Brennan Milone drove a ball to right-center. Fabian chased it back toward the warning track but could not make the play, and Nankil scored from first on Milone’s RBI double for a 7-6 RockHounds lead.
That only set up Karpathios again.
Verdugo, who went 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs and a stolen base, and Hoffman, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base, gave the Missions traffic at the bottom of the order. McCoy’s walk loaded the bases. Karpathios’ single did the rest.
Mallitz, credited with the win, still had to protect the lead in the ninth after allowing one run over two innings. Cameron Leary walked with one out and Rodriguez singled to put the tying run at second, but Mallitz got Camarillo to pop out and Sprague-Lott to ground back to the mound.
Midland outhit San Antonio 15-10. It led by five. It reclaimed the lead in the eighth.
Karpathios gave the Missions the answer each time it mattered.