Fifth Straight Win Caps Sod Poodles First Half

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TL Amarillo Sod Poodles

Fifth Straight Win Caps Sod Poodles First Half

June 22, 2025 - Texas League (TL)
Amarillo Sod Poodles News Release


SPRINGDALE, AR -- The Amarillo Sod Poodles (32-37) defeated the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (33-36), 7-6, on Sunday afternoon at Arvest Ballpark. A back-and-forth battle in the Texas League first half finale went the way of the Soddies for their fifth straight victory.

Following a scoreless first inning to open play on the afternoon, Amarillo scratched the first run of the game in the top of the second as Christian Cerda checked in with a solo blast on the first pitch he saw.

Responding for the Naturals was Dustin Dickerson as the shortstop collected a solo home run of his own in the home half of the second to tie the game.

The Sod Poodles added on in the fourth with Jeremiah Boyd crushing a 3-2 pitch, sailing it beyond the left field wall for a two-run homer, giving Amarillo a two-run advantage.

With LuJames Groover reaching base for the third time in the fifth, Gavin Conticello brought him around to score with a double that bounced off the center field wall, putting the Sod Poodles up by three. Northwest Arkansas evened the score in the home half of the fifth, getting a run on a Justin Johnson groundout and another pair on a Rudy Martin two-run home run.

Stepping up to the dish with another RBI opportunity in the seventh was Conticello. The center fielder delivered with a single to left to bring the go-ahead run around, making it a 5-4 ballgame. Northwest Arkansas answered in the eighth and took the lead for the first time on the afternoon after Carter Jensen and Sam Ruta both ripped singles to score the fifth and sixth runs of the game for the Naturals.

Down to their final three outs, Jose Fernandez got things going in the ninth with a triple. Tommy Troy followed with an RBI double to scratch the tying run. With the infield shifted to pull and Groover at the dish, the third baseman drove one the other way, finding the hole in the right side of the infield, allowing Troy to score the eventual winning run as Amarillo hung on for the 7-6 win in the first half finale.

The Sod Poodles return home to kick off the second half against the Arkansas Travelers on Tuesday night with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch. Neither side has announced a probable starter.

POSTGAME NOTES

ROMAN WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY: Tossing six innings this afternoon was Roman Angelo ...the righty struck out nine batters, tying a season-high (5/25 at Corpus Christi), marking the third nine-strikeout game by a Sod Poodle this season (Cabrera, 5/2 at Midland)...fanned seven batters through the first four innings today, tying for the most strikeouts by an Amarillo starter through the first four frames in a game this season (Clayton, 5/18 at NW Arkansas).

BOMB SQUAD: With Christian Cerda and Jeremiah Boyd going deep, the Sod Poodles slugged nine home runs over the six-game series against the Naturals, the most they have hit in a road series this year...Amarillo leads the Texas League in home runs this season (74).

MOVIN' AND GROOVER: Reaching base five times Sunday was LuJames Groover, collecting two hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch...marks only the second time this season an Amarillo batter has reached base five times in a game (Troy, 4/12 vs. Springfield).

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Texas League Stories from June 22, 2025


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