Walters Walks-off Arkansas
August 31, 2024 - Texas League (TL)
Amarillo Sod Poodles News Release
AMARILLO, Texas - On Marvel night at the ballpark, Jean Walters played the role of superhero, walking the Arkansas Travelers off for a 6-5 Amarillo win. Amarillo got their second win of the series to set up a chance for a series split in Sunday's finale.
Billy Corcoran threw five innings of one-hit baseball, allowing just a solo shot. Jean Walters won the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth after a blown save in the top half. Jesus Valdez crushed his fifth home run of the season. Andy Weber extended his hitting streak to 13 games and recorded his fifth multi-hit game in his last seven outings. The Amarillo shortstop is now batting .328 on the season.
Billy Corcoran was looking for a bounce-back outing when he took the mound in the first and made a statement by retiring the side in order while striking out a pair. Against the Mariners' 13th-rated prospect, Michael Morales, Neyfy Castillo, and Andy Weber both drew walks to start the inning. A.J. Vukovich grounded out but moved the two runners into scoring position. Caleb Roberts ambushed the first pitch, grounding a single through the right side to score the first two runs of the game.
Corcoran had another 1-2-3 inning in the second and struck out another. Jean Walters got a knock in the home half but was thrown out stealing as Amarillo's only baserunner in the frame.
Corcoran recorded another perfect inning in the third. Andy Weber extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a hit in the third and Roberts beat the shift with a bunt, but Amarillo couldn't add on.
The leadoff man walked for Arkansas to end the run of nine retired but was thrown out by Roberts trying to steal. The next two batters went down and Corcoran had faced the minimum through four innings. With two outs, Jesus Valdez lined a ball 107 MPH over the left-center field wall to make the game 3-0.
A leadoff home run marked the only hit given up by Corcoran in his five innings of work. In the bottom of the fifth, Vukovich led off with a double off the centerfield wall. Roberts smacked his third hit of the game to make the game 4-1. Kevin Graham also added his second hit of the game in the inning.
Jamison Hill worked in relief and walked a batter but struckout two in a scoreless sixth. Amarillo went down in order.
Another leadoff home run cut the lead to two and after getting a couple of outs, Hill handed the ball off to Jake Rice to get the final out of the inning, which he did. The Soddies couldn't capitalize on a leadoff base runner in the seventh.
Rice picked up a strikeout in the eighth, but after giving up a hit, he was removed for Mitchell Stumpo. Stumpo got a flyout and a strikeout to end the inning. Krisitian Robinson added a hit in the frame.
With a 4-2 lead, Jhosmer Alvarez looked to close the game out. A leadoff walk followed by a single put the tying run on base without an out. A flyout and strikeout kept the runners at first and second. Multiple strikes were called balls and an eventual walk loaded the bases. Cole Young, the Mariners 2nd-rated prospect pinch hit and laced a single to right field to tie the game. After another walk loaded the bases, Taylor Rashi was summoned to the mound. He walked his first batter to give Arkansas the lead. A flyout sent the game to the bottom of the ninth with a 5-4 score. Andy Weber led off with his second hit of the game, a double into the right field corner to put the tying run in scoring position. Vukovich grounded out sharply to short but Weber couldn't advance. Both Roberts and Christian Cerda fell behind 0-2 in their counts but both were able to draw walks to load the bases with one out. Jancarlos Cintron pinch hit and cracked the first pitch into right field to tie the game, with Roberts being held at third. Robinson went down swinging to leave the game up to Jean Walters. Walters fell behind 1-2 in the count before dropping a ball between the second baseman and center fielder to walk the game off.
After a 6-5 win, Amarillo will look to end their homestand with a series split with Arkansas. First pitch is set for 6:05 P.M.
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Texas League Stories from August 31, 2024
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