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TL Amarillo Sod Poodles

Amarillo's Comeback Bid Falls Just Short

July 27, 2024 - Texas League (TL)
Amarillo Sod Poodles News Release


AMARILLO, Texas - Amarillo's late inning comeback bid fell just short in a 10-9 thriller on Saturday night and fell to six games back in the postseason race.

Tim Tawa was the player of the game with a clutch three run homer and two run double. He also made a sensasional grab in the field. Kevin Graham reached base four times and Neyfy Castillo added a couple hits in his return to Amarillo. The Soddies pitching staff allowed 13 hits, with seven of them going for extra-bases and three cleared the wall in the loss.

Dylan Ray started the night off on a great note, striking out the first batter in route to a 1-2-3 inning. Cory Lewis took the mound and promptly struck out Andy Weber before allowing a walk to Jancarlos Cintron. Cintron was the only baserunner the Soddies could muster.

The scoring opened in the second inning when Carson McCusker scored. He led off the inning with a single and a hit by pitch put runners at first and second. A ground ball to short looked like it was going to be a double play but the throw from second to first was in the dirt and kicked away allowing McCusker to score from second. Kevin Graham worked a walk for Amarillo but that's all they had going.

Ray allowed just a walk in the third and got a strikeout to boot. Neyfy Castillo, in his first game back with the Sod Poodles, delivered the first hit of the night on a line drive over the shortstop's head. The top of the lineup all went down after that.

In the top of the fourth, Wichita hit back to back home runs, with the first being of the two-run variety. The Sod Poodles trailed 4-0 headed into the bottom of the fourth but Caleb Roberts got them on the board with a solo shot to the top of the birm in right field. A.J. Vukovich walked and Kevin Graham singled him to third to set up runners on the corner. Kristian Robinson just missed hitting a home run and flew out to the wall in left center, allowing Vukovich to score and cut the lead in half.

Ray allowed a leadoff home run to Luke Keaschall to start the fifth and after a single, was replaced by Will Mabrey. Ray gave up six runs with five of them being earned and struck out three. Mabrey allowed a double and a sacrifice fly but got out of the inning unscathed after. The Sod Poodles couldn't respond in their half.

Jamison Hill took the mound in the sixth trailing 6-2. He got the first two outs before hitting a batter and throwing a wild pitch to get him in scoring position. He then allowed a two out single to make it 7-2. Ricardo Valez replaced Lewis after five innings and gave up a hit to Ivan Melendez and a walk to Graham but worked out of trouble without giving up a run.

Wichita added on in the seventh, scoring three runs on a pair of doubles, a single, and an error to make it 10-2. Down but not out, Castillo and Cintron singled before Tawa hit a three run blast to put him in a tie with Melendez for the lead in Texas League home runs.

Taylor Rashi took over in the eighth and worked the first clean inning since the third and struck out two in the process. Amarillo kept the faith, Vukovich led off with a single before Graham walked. Robinson struck out and Castillo walked to load the bases with one out. Andy Weber struck out looking for the second out. Cintron came up clutch with a line drive single up the middle to score two and cut the lead to 10-7. Kyle Bischoff came in after the single and his first pitch to Tim Tawa was sent over the centerfielder's head and off the wall. His double scored two and got him up to five rbi's on the night. Caleb Roberts struck out but the Sod Poodles trailed by just a run heading into the ninth.

Back to back walks with one out put pressure on Amarillo. A line drive to center looked like it would extend the Wichita lead but the hero of the night, Tawa made one of the best plays of the year. He ran a mile to make a full extension, diving catch just inches off the ground. Rashi struck out his third batter of his two inning outing to send the game to the home half down by just a run. The crowd was enthusiastic when Melendez knocked his second hit of the game up the middle to start the inning. It seemed as if it was destiny for the Sod Poodles to come back but it wouldn't be. Vukovich and Graham both struck out swinging before Robinson grounded out to first to end the game.

The Sod Poodles will play their ninth and final game of the homestand Sunday night at 6:05 P.M., where they will try and avoid a series split after winning the first three games.

NOTES:

WAVE A WOODEN WAND: Tim Tawa added to his stellar series finishing Saturday night 2-for-5 with a home run, double, run scored and tied his single-game high in 2024 with five RBI. His first five RBI game this season came on May 24th on the road in NW Arkansas. Saturday night was his fifth career 5-RBI game and he now has four in Double-A since the start of last season. Only Tawa and Deyvison De Los Santos have had a five-RBI game for Amarillo this season. His seventh-inning three-run home run was his 18th of the year, placing him in a tie atop the Texas League lead along with Ivan Melendez. The pair of Sod Poodles teammates are one off the Double-A lead held by Chatanooga's Nicholas Northcut. Tawa has also tied A.J. Vukovich for the team-lead in RBI this season with 55. This week against the Wind Surge, he is hitting 8-for-21 (.380) with three home runs, two doubles, eight RBI, a walk, and five runs scored.

OBLIVIATE & CELEBRATE LEVIOSA: Caleb Roberts collected his first home run of the series, second in his last five games, and fourth in his last 10 overall with a solo shot in the fourth inning. The D-backs no. 27-rated prosepct is up to 12 home runs this year and 29th overall as a Sod Poodle as he sits sixth all-time in team history.

CAST(ILLO) A SPELL: In his return to the Sod Poodles lineup after spending 61 games with High-A Hillsboro, Neyfy Castillo picked up his first multi-hit game in 15 total games with Amarillo. He went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored on Saturday night. Castillo hit .225 with 14 multi-hit games with the Hops before returrning back to Amarillo. Castillo played in 98 games for Amarillo during the 2023 championship run and finished T-4th in home runs for the club a season ago.

A BABBLING CURSE OF BALLS: Kevin Graham drew three free passes on Saturday night, the most walks he has had in a game this season. He ended the game 1-for-2 with the three walks and a run scored.

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