FRISCO, Texas (August 2, 2025) — A pair of swings from Marcos Castañon proved to be the difference on Saturday night as the San Antonio Missions defeated the Frisco RoughRiders 4-2 at Riders Field. Castañon belted a solo homer in the fourth inning and followed with a three-run blast in the sixth, accounting for all four of San Antonio’s runs as the Missions evened the six-game series.

The loss dropped Frisco (12-20 in the second half, 50-50 overall) back to .500 on the season, while San Antonio (14-18, 53-48 overall) picked up a much-needed win to keep pace in the Texas League South Division.

Castañon Takes Over

With both starters dealing through the early innings, Castañon broke the scoreless deadlock in the top of the fourth. Facing Frisco reliever Daniel Missaki, the San Antonio infielder launched a solo home run over the left-field wall to put the Missions ahead 1-0.

Two innings later, Castañon struck again. After a pair of Missions reached base, the right-handed slugger jumped on a first-pitch fastball and deposited it into the Riders Field bullpen for a three-run homer, extending San Antonio’s lead to 4-0.

“That’s the kind of hitter Marcos is,” Missions manager Luke Montz said. “When he gets locked in, he can change the game with one swing — tonight he did it twice.”

RoughRiders Rally Late

Despite being held in check for much of the night, the RoughRiders mounted a push in the seventh. Keith Jones II got Frisco on the board with an RBI single, scoring Jax Biggers from second. Moments later, Ian Moller drew a bases-loaded walk, forcing in another run and trimming the deficit to 4-2.

The RoughRiders threatened again in the ninth when Jones ripped a two-out double down the left-field line, his second extra-base hit of the night. But Missions reliever Garrett Hawkins induced a groundout to first base to seal the victory and earn the save.

Frisco manager Carlos Cardoza said his team showed fight but couldn’t overcome Castañon’s power surge. “We battled late and gave ourselves a chance,” Cardoza said. “But you can’t spot a good team four runs and expect to win. We need to do a better job keeping the ball in the yard.”

Pitching Breakdown

For the Missions, Eric Yost (1-0) picked up the win in his first decision of the season. The right-hander tossed 6.1 effective innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out five.

On the other side, Daniel Missaki (0-4) was charged with the loss, surrendering all four runs across three innings of work. Jose Corniell, Frisco’s starter, continued his impressive run by throwing 4.2 shutout frames before turning the game over to the bullpen. Corniell has now made three starts without allowing an earned run, spanning 7.2 innings.

Notes to Know

• Jake Burger Rehab Assignment: Burger went 1-for-4 with a double in his second game on rehab assignment from the Texas Rangers.

• Jones Stays Hot: Keith Jones II logged his fourth multi-hit game since being promoted to Double-A, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

• Corniell Remains Untouchable: The 20-year-old right-hander has yet to allow an earned run through his first three outings with Frisco.

Looking Ahead

The RoughRiders and Missions wrap up their six-game set on Sunday evening at Riders Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Frisco will hand the ball to Josh Stephan (5-4, 5.11 ERA) as he looks to rebound from recent struggles. San Antonio has yet to announce its starter.

With the series tied at two games apiece, Sunday’s finale will determine the winner of the tightly contested matchup between two clubs jockeying for position in the Texas League South.