Offensive outburst leads to 11-2 win over Amarillo

FRISCO, Texas (June 12, 2024) – The Frisco RoughRiders defeated the Amarillo Sod Poodles 11-2 on Wednesday evening from Riders Field.

Box Score

Frisco (39-20) started the scoring against Amarillo (26-33) starter Dylan Ray (0-1) in the bottom of the first inning when Keyber Rodriguez drove home Kellen Strahm with a groundout.

In the bottom of the second, Maximo Acosta belted his first homer of the season to make it a 2-0 game.

The RoughRiders then extended the lead to 5-0 in the third on an RBI single by Rodriguez followed by a two-run jack by Josh Hatcher, his sixth of the year to tie the team lead.

Geisel Cepeda delivered the Riders sixth run with a single that plated Abimelec Oritz in the bottom of the fourth.

Ryan Garcia cruised through four innings, exiting after allowing a run on an A.J. Vukovich double in the fifth inning that cut the Frisco lead to 6-1. Garcia finished going 4.2 innings of one-run baseball, surrendering six hits and three walks while fanning five.

Frisco poured it on in the sixth inning with four unearned runs. Liam Hicks started the scoring with an RBI single. An error extended the inning and allowed Hicks to score. Acosta drove in two runs with a single followed by a throwing error to cap off the frame, giving the Riders a 10-1 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, Strahm brought home Alex De Goti with his third hit of the day to round out the scoring for Frisco, 11-1.

Bryan Chi was excellent in relief, tossing three scoreless, one-hit frames with three strikeouts. Florencio Serrano pitched the ninth, yielding an RBI single by Vukovich to make it an 11-2 game.

Offensively, the Riders notched 14 hits with Strahm, Hatcher and Acosta pacing the team with three-hit nights. Hatcher has tallied six RBI in the two games this series. All nine Frisco hitters reached base, with eight of nine securing hits.

The RoughRiders 11-2 win combined with Midland’s 10-5 loss to Wichita brings the magic number to clinch the first half to six games (meaning any combination of Frisco wins and Midland losses equal to six would clinch a playoff spot). It would mark the first time since 2014 that the RoughRiders claimed the Texas League South first half title.

The RoughRiders continue a six-game series with the Amarillo Sod Poodles (Arizona Diamondbacks) at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, June 13th. The Riders will turn to RHP Ben Anderson (4-3, 4.15) against RHP Jamison Hill (1-5, 7.87) for the Sod Poodles.

It's a night about unidentified objects and conspiracy theories! Head to Riders Field for UFO Night on Thursday and enjoy half-price Coors Light, Truly and Big Stick Blonde 16 ounce cans through the 7th inning​ for Thirsty Thursday.

Fans 21+ can purchase a Twisted Tea Rowdy @ The River ticket and catch the game from the Lazy River. Visit RidersBaseball.com/Specials to purchase a Twisted Tea Rowdy @ The River ticket with a limited-edition Teddy UFO beer mug for just $25!

Twisted Tea Rowdy @ the River features $2 Twisted Tea (12 oz.), $2 Truly (12 oz.), $2 Miller Lite cans until 8:00 p.m. and Thirsty Thursday specials through the 7th inning.

For tickets and more information about the Frisco RoughRiders, visit RidersBaseball.com or call 972.731.9200.

About the RoughRiders

The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and the 2022 Texas League champions. In 2023, the team celebrated its 20th anniversary and has consistently finished in the top five among all Double-A franchises in attendance yearly. In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. Since then, the new ownership group, together with the City of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise enhancements, investing over $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, Bullpen Bar, Riders Outpost Team Store and the world's largest water feature in a sports facility, the massive Lazy River. These enhancements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Best Ballpark Renovation" award for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). More than 200 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball including current Rangers Josh Jung, Evan Carter and Leody Taveras. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact **[email protected]**.