Four Run Fifth Too Much For Amarillo to Overcome

AMARILLO, Texas (April 17, 2024) – The Sod Poodles dropped game two of the series on Wednesday night at HODGETOWN. Springfield seized momentum with a four-run top of the fifth and held on to even the series with a 5-1 win.

Starters Yu-Min Lin and Alex Cornwell didn't allow a baserunner through the first two innings. Springfield's Jeremy Rivas picked up the game's first hit with a double off Lin in the third but was immediately doubled off on a sharply hit liner to Logan Warmoth. The Sod Poodles shortstop then led off the home half of the third with a single for Amarillo's first hit of the night. It was the first of three straight singles that helped catapult Amarillo into a 1-0 lead. Lyle Lin delivered the RBI in his first plate appearance of the season.

After getting each of the first two batters on in the bottom of the fourth the Sod Poodles failed to push a run across with a force out and double play ending the threat.

Six Springfield hits came against Yu-Min Lin in the top of the fifth and led to four runs. After inducing a pop fly for the second out of the inning, Lin's night came to an end with Jake Rice taking over and inheriting a pair of Cardinal runners. A walk to the first man he faced loaded the bases but the left-hander ended the inning by getting the Springfield cleanup hitter to roll over to second base.

The second double play hit into by Amarillo ended another scoring opportunity after a one-out walk and single had Sod Poodles on the corners in the fifth. Rice then navigated around a two-out Springfield single with his second strikeout of his outing to close the top of the sixth.

Consecutive walks to start the home half of the inning were followed by three straight outs, keeping Amarillo's deficit at 4-1.

With Logan Clayton on the mound replacing Rice, an Amarillo error, hit by pitch, walk, and two wild pitches in the inning gave Springfield a 5-1 lead. Lyle Lin was plunked with two gone in the bottom of the seventh to help him reach base in each of his three plate appearances for the season. Wilderd Patino singled to keep the inning alive. Tim Tawa then ambushed the first pitch he saw but the ball hung up just long enough for Springfield's Nathan Church to track it down in shallow center field to keep it at a four-run Amarillo deficit.

Clayton worked a much more efficient eighth inning as he retired the side in order. Unfortunately for Amarillo, they fell victim to the same fate. After getting the first two outs in the top of the ninth, Emailin Montilla took over pitching duties for the Sod Poodles with a pair of runners aboard. The left-hander needed just one pitch to get the final out. A three-up-three-down bottom of the ninth ended Wednesday's contest.

Now with the series even, Amarillo will look to bounce back and take a 2-1 series lead on Thursday night. Amarillo will send RHP Luke Albright (0-1, 18.00 ERA) to the hill while RHP Tink Hence (2-0, 0.90 ERA), the Cardinals' top-rated prospect and no. 58 in all of baseball will get the start for Springfield. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

NOTES:

LINSANITY: Playing in his first game of the season, Lyle Lin turned in a multi-hit effort out of the nine-hole for the Sod Poodles on Wednesday night. Lin spent parts of the 2021-2022 seasons in Amarillo after being selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 14th round of the 2019 season but appeared in just 14 games. After spending the 2023 season with High-A Vancouver in the Toronto Blue Jays system, Lin signed back with the D-backs as a minor league free agent in February of this year. Lin's first Double-A hit back in 2021 was a two-run home run in Frisco. His 2-for-2 effort on Wednesday was his third multi-hit game for Amarillo in 15 career games and included his ninth Double-A RBI.

FOUR BALL: A.J. Vukovich extended his hitting streak to four games with a 1-for-2 night at the plate that included a walk. Over his last four games during his current hitting streak, the D-backs no. 15-rated prospect is hitting .538 (7-for-13) with a home run, four RBI, three walks, and a run. His four-game streak has helped to raise his season AVG to .351 where he is tied for the team lead with three home runs and leads the club with 11 RBI. Through his first 10 games, he is T-3rd in the Texas League in HR, second in RBI, 7th in AVG, and also ranks in the Top 10 in SLG (6th, .622) and OPS (6th, 1.027)

THRICE AS RICE: Amarillo left-hander Jake Rice made it three straight games without allowing an earned run after turning in 1.1 IP in relief of Yu-Min Lin. The southpaw picked up a couple of strikeouts to a hit and walk issued. Over his last 3.2 IP, Rice has allowed three hits with four strikeouts and two walks.