Late-Inning Magic Runs out for Amarillo in One-Run Loss
TL Amarillo Sod Poodles

Late-Inning Magic Runs out for Amarillo in One-Run Loss

Published on April 18, 2026 under Texas League (TL)
Amarillo Sod Poodles News Release


AMARILLO, TX -- The Amarillo Sod Poodles (4-10) fell to the Frisco RoughRiders (8-6), 5-4, on Saturday night at HODGETOWN. In yet another game this series that was tied in the ninth or later, the hosts could not craft a third straight walk-off victory.

Very much a pitcher's duel through the first four innings, the RoughRiders broke through against Jose Cabrera in the top of the fifth. John Taylor and Ian Moller strung together a pair of hits, setting the table for Corey Joyce. The Frisco second baseman parked a ball beyond the left field wall for a three-run homer.

In the home half of the fifth, Danny Serretti outdid his fellow second baseman from Frisco, sending a hanging breaking ball over everything in the left field stands for a 428-foot solo home run. The Sod Poodles couldn't do much else against RoughRiders southpaw Dylan MacLean however, who held Amarillo to just one run in his five-inning start.

Pitching and defense kept the Sod Poodles in the game, as the team recorded two outfield assists to erase potential runners in scoring position for the visitors, while Hayden Durke recorded an immaculate inning in the top of the seventh.

Amarillo cut in to its deficit on Junior Franco 's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh, but Frisco continued to do damage with two outs, this time extending its lead back up to two on Orlando Martinez's RBI double to the left-center field gap in the top of the eighth.

In another night with late-inning drama, the contest was all knotted up at four after Jansel Luis hit a towering fly ball to right field that landed just out of the reach of Marcus Lee Sang and over the right field fence for a two-run dinger.

Alec Baker struggled to find the zone in the ninth in his second inning of relief, as three free passes loaded the bases with one out. Amarillo had no choice but to bring the infield in, which proved to be a killer when Joyce chopped a ball over the head of third baseman Manuel Pena to plate the go-ahead run.

The Soddies were able to get the tying run to scoring position in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, but Wilian Bormie was able to get Cristofer Torin to ground into a fielder's choice to end the game.

POSTGAME NOTES

HATS OFF: Soddies reliever Hayden Durke tossed just the second immaculate inning in franchise history...he needed just nine pitches to strike out John Taylor, Ian Moller, and Marcus Lee Sang swinging...Dylan File was the only other Sod Poodle to do so on July 3, 2024 against Midland in the first inning.

YES SERRETTI: Danny Serretti extended his on-base streak to eleven games tonight...over the span dating back to the second game of the season, he has a .400/.533/.842 slash line and is third or better in the Texas League in five different offensive categories.

Check out the Amarillo Sod Poodles Statistics

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Texas League Stories from April 18, 2026


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