Bryce Carves, Sod Poodles Beat Hooks 5-2

Amarillo, Texas (April 13, 2023) – The Amarillo Sod Poodles (4-2) took their second consecutive game over the Corpus Christi Hooks on Thursday night. Bryce Jarvis was impressive from the jump and the Amarillo bats stayed hot as the Sod Poodles beat the Hooks 5-2.

Back-to-back Hooks singles to lead off the top of the first inning appeared to have Corpus Christi threatening early before the D-backs no.26-rated prospect settled into a groove. A caught stealing and two strikeouts helped limit the Hooks' damage to just one run in the opening half inning.

A pair of two-out hits, including Tristin English's first homer of the season erased the Hooks lead and gave the Sod Poodles a one-run advantage after their first at-bats. Jarvis added a strikeout as Corpus was retired in order in the top of the second inning. The former 18th overall selection in 2020 had his full pitch mix working in the third, striking out all three Hooks that he faced.

Corpus was able to even the score in the top of the fifth after a two-out double came around aided by a throwing error by Amarillo during the next Hooks at-bat.

Amarillo's Ryan Bliss continued his tear to begin the season, notching his second double in as many plate appearances, scoring Nick Dalesandro who reached via a walk and swiped base to begin the Sod Poodles' fifth inning. D-backs' no. 1-rated prospect, Jordan Lawlar brought Bliss home with a double of his own as Amarillo built a two-run cushion after five innings of play.

Jarvis' second start of the 2023 campaign came to an end as right-hander Michel Otanez toed the rubber to begin the top of the sixth inning. Jarvis' night ended with an Amarillo season-high eight strikeouts in 5.0 IP while allowing just three hits and two runs (1 earned). A leadoff double surrendered by Otanzez failed to score as three Hooks were eventually left stranded during the top of the sixth.

The game's final run came as a two-out 360-foot solo shot off the bat of Juan Centeno, his first of the season. Otanez pitched 1.1 IP, allowing three hits, and no runs before Austin Pope relieved him in the top of the seventh and induced a flyout, stranding the game's only inherited runner by either club. Bliss added his Double-A leading 13th hit, a one-out base knock prior to swiping his Texas League-leading fourth stolen base in the home half of the seventh inning. A double play ended the Amarillo scoring threat and kept the lead at 5-2.

Pope worked around a leadoff double, retiring three of the next four batters, including two punchouts before he was relieved by Christian Montes De Oca in the top of the ninth.

Montes De Oca, who was tied for the D-backs MiLB lead in saves in 2022 collected his first save in 2023 on his first opportunity. He retired the Hooks in order, picking up a pair of strikeouts in the process.

The Sod Poodles will aim to secure at worst a series split as they go for their third straight win over the Hooks on Friday night. Right-hander Luke Albright is slated to start for the Sod Poodles after firing five innings of one-hit ball in his Double-A debut last Friday night in Frisco. First pitch for the first Friday Night Fireworks at HODGETOWN this season is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

NOTES:

FLICK OF THE BLISS: 2B Ryan Bliss went 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored. Bliss is riding a 13-game hit streak dating back to 8/23/2022 with Hillsboro, encompassing seven multi-hit performances across the stretch. Bliss leads the Amarillo club in batting average (.464, 13-for-28), hits, total bases (20), stolen bases (4) and slugging (.714) while sharing the crown for doubles (2) and homers (1).

SAILING THE ENGLISH CHANNEL: 1B Tristin English went 1-for-3 with a homer, a walk, two RBI, and a run scored. English is currently riding a four-game hit streak that dates back to the end of the 2022 campaign (9/18/22-4/13/23) with his homer being his first nuke of the season, good for tying for first in bombs on the club.

BOMB CITY: Amarillo leads the Texas League in homers and has now nuked eight balls as a club in six games. In those six games, they have posted multiple homers in each, all of the two-bomb variety. Each of the club's eight home runs are distributed evenly among eight separate Sod Poodles. Their eight long balls are tied for fourth in all of Double-A.

HE WAS NUMBER JUAN: DH Juan Centeno went 2-for-4 with a home run, an RBI and a run scored. Juan is notching a two-game multi-hit streak in his last two contests and has earned a hit in eight of his last 10 contests dating back to 9/13/2022 with six being good for multi-hit performances, all of the two-hit variety.

A STRING OF ROBY-RIES: RF Roby Enriquez went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Enriquez has poked a base knock in 11 of his last 14 contests dating back to 9/2/2022 with four being multi-hit nights...Across that 14-game stretch, he has swatted five XBH in the form of three doubles and two homers.