Amarillo Arms Match Season Strikeout Mark in Lopsided Loss

Amarillo, Texas (June 5, 2024) – The Amarillo Sod Poodles suffered a 12-1 loss to the Tulsa Drillers on Wednesday night at HODGETOWN as the series evened to a game apiece. Amarillo pitchers racked 15 strikeouts to match their single-game season-high but 16 Drillers hits and nine runs in the middle innings proved too much to overcome.

Tulsa used four hits to get their first three runs off Dylan File in the first inning. Back-to-back one-out singles were followed by the first of two Austin Beck homers on the night. File bounced back in the second to leave a one-out double stranded and then struck out the side in the top of the third inning. S.P. Chen got the first of four Sod Poodles hits for the game with a one-out single into right field in the third but was left there when the inning came to an end. Following a one-out walk and single in the top of the fourth, File induced a ground ball double play to end the threat.

Matt Beaty collected the first of his two hits for the game with a leadoff single in the home half of the fourth. He was followed aboard by Tim Tawa who reached via an error. Tulsa's Justin Wrobleski navigated the traffic by getting one of his three strikeouts for the night and then got a double play ball of his own to send File back to work to start the fifth. Five straight hits, including a pair of doubles, led to three Tulsa runs before Amarillo could get the first out of the inning. Another RBI single brought an end to File's night and sent Jake Rice to the mound as he inherited a pair of runners on. Rice struck out the first man he faced and before a two-out single scored the fifth and final run of the inning for Tulsa. Diego Cartaya was caught off third after a wide turn to get the Sod Poodles out of the inning.

Kristian Robinson drew a walk in the bottom of the fifth but was the only baserunner Amarillo got in the inning. The first three Drillers in the top of the sixth reached safely to load the bases. A balk brought home another run. Beck's second home run made it 12-0 Tulsa. Rice retired each of the next three he faced.

Luke Albright took over on the bump in the seventh and worked a three-up-three-down inning and added the first two of his four total strikeouts for his two innings of work. The right-hander also fanned the first two he faced to start the top of the eighth before leaving a two-out single stranded. Kyle Amendt made his HODGETOWN debut in the top of the ninth and proceeded to strike out the side on 17 pitches.

Beaty added his second hit of the night with one out in the last inning. A.J. Vukovich drove him home with a double two batters later to give the Sod Poodles their lone run of the game.

Amarillo and Tulsa will continue their series on Thursday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at HODGETOWN.

NOTES:

QUARTER OVER NINE: Amarillo pitchers matched their season-high with 15 strikeouts for the game. It came just a week after originally setting the mark back on May 29th on the road in Arkansas. Dyle File started it with six of his own as he continues to creep closer to 500 career strikeouts. The right-hander is now sitting on 456 through his first 112 professional games. Luke Albright added four strikeouts to inch closer to the Sod Poodles all-time strikeout mark currently held by Brandon Pfaadt. After his four on Wednesday night, Albright currently sits just 19 shy of breaking Pfaadt's record of 180 career strikeouts as a Soddie. Kyle Amendt made his first appearance at HODGETOWN after a promotion from High-A Hillsboro last weekend. The former Dallas Baptist hurler struck out the side during his lone inning of work for Amarillo Wednesday night. His promotion to Double-A came after just 21 career minor league games. Through his first 27.1 IP, Amendt has totaled 57 strikeouts, good for a staggering 18.9 K/9.

BATER TOTS: Matt Beaty got his first multi-hit game as a Sod Poodle under his belt after finishing the night 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. He had two of Amarillo's four total hits for the game. He did it against his former organization and the team he was with when he won Texas League Player of the Year in 2017. He went on to play 240 career regular-season games with the Dodgers between 2019-2021 and was a World Series Champion with them in 2020. Through his first nine games with Amarillo Beaty has six hits, including a double.

TWO-KOVICH: A.J. Vukovich picked up his team-leading 12th double of the season to give the Sod Poodles their only run for the game. It was his 31st career double with Amarillo and is now fifth all-time in two-baggers as a Sod Poodle. He trails current teammates Tim Tawa (1st, 36) and Caleb Roberts (T-3rd, 33). His RBI on Wednesday night was his 27th of the season to put him in solo first for the season and extend his all-time RBI record total to 132.