TL Amarillo Sod Poodles

Sod Poodles Walked off in Series Finale

Published on June 19, 2022 under Texas League (TL)
Amarillo Sod Poodles News Release


San Antonio, TEXAS - The Amarillo Sod Poodles (30-33) fell to the San Antonio Missions (34-27) on Sunday off a walk-off home run on the first pitch in the 9th.

Amarillo had No. 10 organizational prospect Slade Cecconi on the mound after he earned the win in game one of the series, and he earned a no decision after 6.2 innings today.

The Sod Poodles went down 1-2-3 in the 1st, and the Missions took to the scoreboard first with three runs in the bottom of the frame.

Cecconi allowed a career-high 10 hits in his last start against the Missions, and they welcomed him with a leadoff single today. A hit by pitch put two runners on the bases, and the first run scored on a single and a throwing error from center field. A two-out double plated two more to make it 3-0, Missions.

Amarillo responded with a run in the top of the 3rd. Ti'Quan Forbes and Juan Centeno led off the inning with singles, and Nick Dalesandro put the Soddies on the board with a sac fly. The next two batters were retired, and Cecconi sat down the Missions in order in the bottom.

Cecconi rolled into the third and struck out the first two batters, but San Antonio rallied with two outs. A single and a walk put two runners on, and an RBI single put the Missions back up by three, 4-1.

Ten Sod Poodles were retired in a row from the 3rd to the 6th, but the offense came to life and cut the Missions lead to one in the 6th. Eduardo Diaz doubled with one out and Leandro Cedeño scored him on a two-run homer to right-center field.

After the early runs, Cecconi dug in and recorded another quality start. He allowed just three base runners from the 4th to the 6th inning, and his bounce back effort helped keep Amarillo in the game.

The offense picked up steam along with Cecconi's quality stuff, and tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the 7th. Elvis Peralta singled and was scored on an RBI double from Drew Stankiewicz, his second RBI of the series. A wild pitch and a walk put runners at the corners, but the Sod Poodles couldn't pull ahead.

Cecconi recorded the first two outs of the 7th, but after a single and a walk he was relieved by Mack Lemieux with two on. Lemieux, in his 2022 Amarillo debut, surrendered a single to the first batter he faced, but right fielder Roby Enriquez scooped it up and gunned down the potential go-ahead run at the plate to end the inning.

Cecconi's night ended with the game tied in the 7th for a final line of 6.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB and 5 K on 96 pitches. He earned a no-decision in his second straight quality start against the Missions.

Both teams went 1-2-3 in the 8th, setting up a do-or-die situation in the 9th. Enriquez led off the top of the frame with a double, but the next three were retired.

Junior Garcia came in for the bottom of the 9th, and San Antonio walked it off with a home run on the first pitch. Both teams had nine hits, but it was the final one for the Missions that gave them the win.

Up next for Amarillo is a trip down south to meet up with the Corpus Christi Hooks. The Sod Poodles now trail the Missions by five games with seven remaining before the end of the first half of the season, and will hope to mount a late comeback in the standings against the 28-35 Hooks. The first game of the series is scheduled for Tuesday, June 21st, with a 6:35 first pitch and Bryce Jarvis on the mound.

Notes:

Happy Father's Day!: A number of Sod Poodles come from generational baseball families. Nick Dalesandro, Drew Stankiewicz and Bryce Jarvis are each the son of former big leaguers, and our very own broadcasters Chris and Stefan Caray come from a long line of baseball announcers. Nick's father Mark Dalesandro was the 1990 Big Ten Player of the Year at Illinois and played five seasons in MLB. Drew's dad, Andy Stankiewicz, played seven years in the big leagues and totaled 203 career hits, and Bryce's father Kevin Jarvis pitched in 187 MLB games with 34 wins. Chris and Stefan's father Chip Caray currently broadcasts for the Atlanta Braves.

Grillmaster: Diamondbacks' No. 10 prospect Slade Cecconi brought the heat in today's no-decision quality start. He allowed three runs to score in the 1st and one in the 3rd, but settled in nicely and kept Amarillo in the game. He's notched a quality start in each of his last two appearances and has four on the year. This season, the top prospect is 3-3 with a 4.74 ERA and 66 strikeouts.

Big Papa: 1B Leandro Cedeño went yard for a two-run home run in the 6th inning, his 13th dinger of the season. He is second on the Sod Poodles in home runs, trailing Corbin Carroll's 15, and in RBI (42), trailing Eduardo Diaz's 43. Cedeño has been turning it up over the recent stretch, with nine hits in his last eight games. The Venezuela native hit his 50th career home run earlier this year and is now one homer shy of his single-season career-high of 14.

Double Dippers: C Juan Centeno and SS Drew Stankiewicz led the Sod Poodles today with two hits apiece. Centeno went 2-for-4, and went 5-for-10 with two doubles and a triple over the final three games of the series. Stankiewicz went 2-for-4 with an RBI, his first multi-hit game since his 4-for-4 outing on June 11 against Frisco.

Down To The Wire: The Sod Poodles were walked off today for the second time this series. They suffered a 4-3 defeat on Thursday, June 16 after a walk-off sacrifice fly in the 9th and fell today on a first-pitch home run in the final inning. Amarillo has now fallen three times in walkoff fashion this season. They've been the ones ending the game early twice this season, as Dominic Fletcher delivered a bases-loaded walk-off walk on April 22 against San Antonio, and Jorge Barrosa hit a no-doubt two run homer in the 10th to beat Frisco on June 10.

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Texas League Stories from June 19, 2022


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