Frisco’s 6-1 win paired with Midland loss drops magic number to one

FRISCO, Texas (June 15, 2024) – The Frisco RoughRiders took down the Amarillo Sod Poodles 6-1 on Saturday evening from Riders Field.

Box Score

Amarillo (26-36) started the scoring with a solo homer by Ivan Melendez off of Frisco (42-20) starter Dane Acker (3-2) in the top of the second.

Acker finished after 6.0 innings, surrendering just one run on two hits and five walks with one strikeout.

The Riders got to Billy Corcoran (2-2) in the bottom of the fourth inning. Aaron Zavala reached on an error to open the frame and later came around to score when Keyber Rodriguez worked a walk to tie the game. Josh Hatcher bounced into a double play that plated Hicks before Maximo Acosta added to the Riders lead with an RBI single. Abimelec Ortiz capped off the inning with a mammoth two-run blast to right, giving Frisco a 5-1 advantage.

Corcoran exited after 7.0 innings, allowing five unearned runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Geisel Cepeda scored on a throwing error by Caleb Roberts in the bottom of the eight, bringing the score to 6-1.

Frisco turned to Andy Rodriguez and Seth Clark out of the pen. The two combined to spin 3.0 scoreless, one hit innings with a pair of punchouts.

Offensively, the Riders managed six hits from six different players. Ortiz led the way with two RBI.

The Wichita Wind Surge defeated the Midland RockHounds on Saturday night, giving the Riders a chance to win the first half of the Texas League South as early as Sunday. A Midland loss or a Frisco win over Amarillo would end the race for the first postseason spot in the Texas League.

The RoughRiders finish a six-game series with the Amarillo Sod Poodles (Arizona Diamondbacks) at 6:05 p.m. on Sunday, June 16th. The Riders will turn to RHP Emiliano Teodo (3-1, 2.08) against RHP Dylan File (2-1, 5.18) for the Sod Poodles.

Bring the family to Riders Field on Sunday for Father's Day! Kids 12 and under can grab an Evan Carter kids jersey giveaway at the gates and head to the outfield for pregame catch on the field as part of Kids Sunday Funday presented by Raising Cane's.

Additionally, the RoughRiders will take the field as the Dallas Black Giants in tribute to the Negro Leagues team of the 1920's. Students from The Black Academy of Arts and Letters will be on hand with jazz performances and more ahead of the 7th Annual Riverfront Jazz Festival. Stick around after the game for postgame fireworks!

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].