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TL Amarillo Sod Poodles

Sod Poodles Score Nine Runs Over Final Three at Bats to Beat Drillers

July 2, 2023 - Texas League (TL)
Amarillo Sod Poodles News Release


Amarillo, Texas - In front of a sold-out Saturday night crowd, the Amarillo Sod Poodles took down the Tulsa Drillers 12-10. Amarillo stormed back from down 8-3 entering the bottom of the sixth inning to clinch at worst a series split to begin the second half of the Texas League schedule. The Sod Poodles used 14 hits, including five home runs, and swiped a plethora of bases in what was the most entertaining game so far in the 2023 season.

Amarillo responded to Tulsa's three runs in the top of the first with a pair of runs in their first trip to the plate. Seeing the first two runners work their way aboard via a walk and hit by pitch, a wild pitch and passed ball scored the Sod Poodles first run of the game. The third and forth walks of the bottom of the fourth brought Roby Enriquez to the plate with the bases loaded. Enriquez hit an infield single to cut the Sod Poodles deficit to one run at 3-2.

Tulsa added a run in the top of the second to make it 4-2 while the Sod Poodles were retired in order to send Jamison Hill back to the mound for the start of the third inning. A three-run home run pushed the Drillers in front by five. Amarillo got two on base in the bottom of the third but left both stranded and unable to cut into the deficit.

Back out for the fourth, Hill worked his first 1-2-3 inning of the game adding his first two punchouts of the night to send his offense back to work. A throwing error and walk helped to put two aboard with one out in the inning. The second walk of the frame - and fifth of the game - kept Amarillo alive in the inning and put runners on every base. A called third strike left all three runners left on base and the game at 7-2 in favor of the Drillers.

After picking up two outs in the fifth, Hill was relieved by Mitchell Stumpo. The right-hander took over on the mound with a runner on second after a RBI double made it 8-2 Tulsa. Two walks loaded the bases but Stumpo responded by striking out his first of the game to leave all three Drillers on base.

Tim Tawa launched his 11th home run of the season with one away in the bottom of the sixth to give Amarillo their third run of the night. Neyfy Castillo singled and later stole second base but was the ninth Amarillo runner left on base as the inning came to an end with a strikeout. Stumpo was back to work in the top of the sixth and retired the Drillers in order with a pair of strikeouts to bring the top of the order to the plate.

Ryan Bliss led off the inning with a double and then swiped third with a throwing error bringing him home on the play. Camden Duzenack followed up Bliss' XBH with a no doubt solo shot to left center. Following a lineout, Seth Beer and Caleb Roberts tag teamed back-to-back home runs to bring the Sod Poodles within a run of Tulsa's lead.

Kyle Backhus entered the game for Amarillo in the top of the seventh inning. The southpaw worked around some traffic on the bases to keep the Sod Poodles within one, leaving a pair on base.

Nick Dalesandro singled to begin Amarillo's half of the seventh - the last Amarillo starter to record a hit on Saturday night. Following a pitching change, Bliss hit a go-ahead two-run home run to the opposite field to put Amarillo up 9-8. The Sod Poodles tacked on another run in the inning to take a two-run lead. Backhus then struck out two more Drillers in the top of the eighth.

Amarillo added another two runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 12-8 lead, stringing together a pair of hits in the inning.

The Drillers wouldn't go quietly into the night adding two runs in the top of the ninth - the last coming just before Michel Otanez and the Sod Poodles earned the final out of the game. With runners on second and third, a single off the bat of Jorbit Vivas was cut down trying to stretch for extra bases by a strong throw from Roberts in left field.

Securing at worst a series split with the comeback win on Saturday night, Amarillo will look to earn the series victory on Sunday. The Independence Weekend Celebration from HODGETOWN continues July 2, with game four scheduled for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch. RHP Deyni Olivero will take the ball for the Sod Poodles in game four from HODGETOWN.

NOTES:

HOTTER THAN HOT: Caleb Roberts added another multi-hit performance to his season, going 2-for-4 with a double and homer. He also added a pair of walks and RBI on Saturday night. The former North Carolina Tar Heel extended his current hit streak to six games, hitting .417 (10-for-24) since June 24. His recent tear at the plate includes four home runs, three doubles, a triple, six RBI, and eight runs scored. He has home runs in four of his last five, including back-to-back games after leaving the yard Friday night as well. He has at least one XBH in all six games during his streak - the longest active streak in the Texas League currently. On top of that, he has scored a run in eight straight which is also the best active streak in the league. He has five straight games with a RBI, tied with Tim Tawa atop the Texas League at the moment.

MEET ME AT THE BEER GARDEN: Seth Beer went 1-for-4 with a home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. It was his fourth home run of the season and his second of the series after leaving the yard in Wednesday's series opener. He has now launched three of his four long balls in his last six games as he continues to heat up at the plate. He hit the first of back-to-back home runs with Caleb Roberts in the sixth inning, the fourth time Amarillo teammates have strung together consecutive home runs this year. In 14 games at HODGETOWN since being added to the Amarillo roster, Beer is hitting .360 with six XBH and nine RBI.

THE POWAH OF TAWA: Tim Tawa added his third home run of the series, playing in all four games to start the series after his 0-for-2 night on Friday after entering as a pinch hitter. For the series so far, Tawa is hitting 4-for-14 with all four hits being for XBH (3 HR, 2B). He has driven in eight RBI in his 14 at-bats including tying his career-high with five RBI a couple of nights ago. Tawa has swatted 11 home runs on the season, which is the third most on the club and one behind Ryan Bliss and A.J. Vukovich's 12 dingers.

THAT'LL DUZE: Camden Duzenack extended his current hitting streak to nine games after going 3-for-5, coming a triple-shy of the cycle. Over his last nine games, the Texas native and former Dallas Baptist standout is hitting 18-for-37 (.486) with five doubles, three home runs, 11 RBI, and 10 runs scored. He has the longest active on-base streak going in the Texas League at 24 games, one behind Ryan Bliss for the longest on-base streak by a Sod Poodle this year. His three-hit night on Saturday marked the fourth in 26 games played this season in Amarillo threads. Three of his four three-hit games have all come in the last four games after turning in back-to-back three-hit nights the last two days.

POWER PARTY: Amarillo's five home runs on Saturday night set a new season high as a team, besting the previous four home runs which the club had done twice this season. The five home runs included three in the bottom of the sixth inning, matching the season-high for home runs hit by the Sod Poodles in the same inning. It also included the fourth back-to-back home runs in 2023 as Beer & Roberts combined to leave the yard in consecutive at-bats. Roberts has been apart two of the four as has A.J. Vukovich. Roberts has hit a home run in back-to-back games, the 13th time it has been done this season so far after having been the most recent addition to the list on Wednesday when he homered in the series opener. Amarillo's five-dinger night have them with the second-most HR in the Texas League this season (91) trailing Corpus Christi (95). Ryan Bliss added his first home run since June 22 in Corpus Christi. The Sod Poodles have four of the top 25 players in the Texas League in home runs on the current roster, led by Bliss and A.J. Vukovich who each have 12. Tulsa is the only other team in the league with at least four players in the top 25 for home runs in the league this season.

STEAL CITY: Amarillo swiped a franchise-high nine stolen bases on Saturday night as they ran rampant on the Drillers. Bliss added three stolen bases - to take over the top spot on the team this year from Jordan Lawlar (23). Blis is up to 26 total steals in 2023, going 26-for-32 on stolen base attempts through his first 64 games played. The nine steals are tied with Portland (AA, BOS) for the most stolen bases in Double-A in 2023. Nick Dalesandro added his13th stolen base of the year, taking a pair of bases himself to make him 13-for-15 on stolen base attempts. Dalesandro set the Sod Poodles all-time record for stolen bases in a season last year, and has a franchise-best 48 total stolen bases in his 120 games played for Amarillo since the start of last year. Bliss' three bags tie Lawlar for the most in a game this year by a Sod Poodle after having just set the record two games ago.

RISP IT TO GET THE BISCUIT: Over the last two games, Amarillo is 4-for-42 with runners in scoring position and have left 27 total runners on base. On the season, Amarillo ranks tied for first in the Texas League, hitting .281 with runners in scoring position, matching Tulsa who is also a combined 13-for-36 through the first four games of the series this week. Amarillo's 14 runners LOB on Saturday night set a new season-high breaking a two-way tie and one more than the 13 they left on during Friday's 13-inning marathon game.

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