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TL Amarillo Sod Poodles

Three-Run Eighth Inning Propels Sod Poodles to Series Opening Win

June 28, 2023 - Texas League (TL)
Amarillo Sod Poodles News Release


Amarillo, Texas - Amarillo began the second half of the Texas League schedule with a comeback 6-4 win over the Tulsa Drillers on Wednesday night. The Sod Poodles scored five of their six runs beginning in the sixth inning.

Tulsa got their leadoff man aboard with an error in the top of the first but Soddies starter Chad Patrick was aided by his defense with a line out and inning-ending double play closing out the frame.

Amarillo left A.J. Vukovich stranded after his two-out single in the bottom of the first and Patrick returned the favor, leaving a pair of runners on base after a two-out walk and double put a pair of Drillers into scoring position.

The Sod Poodles struck first blood as Caleb Roberts muscled out an opposite field home run to put the Sod Poodles up 1-0. Tulsa responded with a three-run top of the third. A leadoff triple came around to even the score before a two-out two-run home run put the Drillers into the lead.

Patrick spun a clean frame in the top of the fourth after the Sod Poodles left another pair of runners stranded on base in the bottom of the third. The second inning-ending double play of the game ended an Amarillo threat in the bottom of the fourth.

Ryan Bliss and Jordan Lawlar tag teamed to help turn the fourth double play of the night to bring an end to the top of the fifth. Patrick was back to work in the sixth inning after Amarillo managed a two-out single from Bliss but was unable to cut into the Drillers lead.

Patrick ended his night with his second and third strikeouts of the game to put the final touches on his quality start. Vukovich added his second hit of the game with a leadoff double in the bottom of the sixth and advanced to third with the help of a fielding error. He was immediately brought home when Seth Beer homered to the opposite field to tie the game at 3-3.

Conor Grammes was the first man out of the Amarillo bullpen. The right-hander issued a leadoff free pass. A couple of strikeouts in the inning helped Grammes escape with the tie intact after a wild pitch and passed ball moved the potential go-ahead run to third base.

Neyfy Castillo singled in the home half of the seventh and swiped second base to put himself into scoring position. The Sod Poodles left their sixth runner stranded as each of the next two went down on strikes. The Drillers regained the advantage, hitting a leadoff solo home run off Kyle Backhus in the top of the eighth. The lefty stranded a one-out double to keep it a one-run ballgame.

Back-to-Back Amarillo doubles, one aided by a ball lost in the lights, knotted things up at four runs a piece. The Sod Poodles' third double of the inning scored the go-ahead run and put two runners into scoring position as Nick Dalesandro motored into third base after pinch running for Roberts. Castillo added an insurance run with a RBI groundout, putting Amarillo in front 6-4 heading to the ninth inning.

Backhus returned to close the door on the Drillers. The southpaw maneuvered his way around a one-out single to preserve the win, his second of the season.

The series continues tomorrow, Thursday, June 29 with RHP Peter Solomon making his HODGETOWN debut on the mound for Amarillo. The righty was added to the Sod Poodles roster last week in Corpus, making one start in the series against the Hooks. He worked 5.0 IP, scattering four hits with just one earned run coming against him. First pitch for game two of the six-game set is slated for 7:05 p.m. in downtown Amarillo.

NOTES:

CALEB'S CLOBBERING:Following a two-hit night in the series finale in Corpus on Sunday including a home run, Caleb Roberts began the second half with a home run in his first at bat on Wednesday. It was his first time this season with a homer in consecutive games, and gives him five total long balls on the season. It's the 12th time this season that a Sod Poodle has had back-to-back games with a home run. Roberts has now hit safely in each of his last three games and has a run scored in five straight. Roberts ended his game 3-for-4, his second three-hit game in 2023.

SWATTING SETH:Seth Beer hit his first HODGETOWN home run since being added to the roster on May 23. It was the third home run of the season for the former first-rounder out of Clemson and his second in his last three games after launching a two-run home run on Saturday night in Corpus Christi. In 11 games played at HODGETOWN in 2023, Beer is hitting 15-for-42 (.357) with four doubles, a home run, and five RBI. His opposite field home run in the bottom of the sixth tied the game for Amarillo. He added his second hit of the game with a double in the bottom of the eighth.

TWO WEEKS WORTH OF HITS:Neyfy Castillo extended his hit streak to a career-best 14 games with a single in the bottom of the seventh. The fifth-year pro out of the Dominican Republic set his previous career-high with a 13 game stretch during the 2021 season when he was with Low-A Visalia. Over his last 14 games, Castillo is hitting .352 (19-for-54) with three home runs, two doubles, a triple, 12 RBI, and 12 runs scored.

QUALITY CHAD:Chad Patrick turned in his third quality start of the season after spinning 6.0 IP and allowing just three earned runs on four hits. His three quality starts put him in a tie for the most by an Amarillo starter along with Luke Albright.

DOUBLE DEL: Adrian Del Castillo was one of four Sod Poodles to turn in a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with the game-tying double in the bottom of the eighth. It was Del Castillo's 11th double of the season and his 15th multi-hit game. Wednesday was his fourth straight game with a hit, and his second multi-hit game in his last four. In the month of June, Del Castillo is hitting .308 with seven of his 15 total multi-hit games coming in his last 18 games played. His hot month has him with the 11th best batting average in the Texas League in June.

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