Amarillo Arms and Bats Shine in Shutout Win

WICHITA, Kansas – The Sod Poodles grabbed an early lead and never looked back on Saturday night at Riverfront Stadium, cruising to a 8-0 win against the Wichita Wind Surge. Amarillo pitching tossed a combined three-hitter for the team's first shutout win of the season.

Sod Poodles starter Luis Frias, one of the Arizona Diamondbacks' top prospects, was stellar in his Double-A debut. The righty spun six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and striking out three. With the performance, Frias lowered his combined season ERA between Amarillo and High-A Hillsboro to 0.53.

Frias was replaced by righty Justin Vernia in the seventh. Vernia proceeded to toss a pair of scoreless frames. Right-hander Chester Pimentel struck out two batters in a scoreless ninth to seal Amarillo's victory.

While the Soddies pitched brilliantly, Amarillo's offense scored early and often. The Sod Poodles tied a season-high with eight runs and combined for a season-high 12 hits.

In the second inning against Wichita starter Bryan Sammons, the Soddies struck first on Luis Basabe's two-run homer. It was Basabe's first blast of the season. Sammons ultimately settled down to allow just those two runs over five innings.

Amarillo's lead remained 2-0 until the sixth, when Dominic Miroglio popped a solo shot into the left field bullpen against Wichita reliever Rob Whalen. Miroglio's second homer of the season made it 3-0.

The Sod Poodles continued to tack on in the late innings against Whalen and righty Ryan Mason.

In the seventh, Alek Thomas collected an RBI single to make it 4-0. In the eighth, Jarett Rindfleisch picked up his first hit and RBI of the season to extend Amarillo's lead to 5-0.

The Soddies broke the game open with a three-run eighth, as Miroglio and Stone Garrett hit back-to-back RBI singles. The inning was capped with a sac fly from Jancarlos Cintron, scoring Miroglio from third base and making it 8-0.

Miroglio led Amarillo's offense with his first three-hit performance of the season. Geraldo Perdomo collected two hits and walked twice. Cintron also had two hits.

The Sod Poodles play the series finale in Wichita on Sunday afternoon, which wraps up the team's 12-game road trip to begin the season. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. Amarillo sends lefty Tommy Henry to the mound, while Wichita counters with righty Cole Sands.

The game is broadcast on Amarillo's NewsTalk 940 AM/Mix 94.1 FM, and along the Sod Poodles Radio Network. Pregame coverage with Sam Levitt begins at 12:45 p.m.