RockHounds Pitch Past Soddies

Midland, Texas — After a late rally propelled the Sod Poodles to a win on Friday evening, Amarillo fell 5-1 to the Midland RockHounds on Saturday evening at Momentum Bank Ballpark.

Midland starter Ty Damron held Amarillo's offense to just one run on four hits through 6.2 innings. Midland's bullpen, with a mix of lefty Austin Briggs and righty Nick Highberger, proceeded to collect 2.1 scoreless frames to secure the win.

Sod Poodles starter Matt Tabor matched Damron for the first three innings, as both pitchers put up zeroes.

The RockHounds scored two runs off Tabor in the fourth, as Midland loaded the bases and received a two-run single from Max Schuemann. Midland jumped out to a 2-0 lead.

After a scoreless fifth, the RockHounds scored three more in the sixth. Schuemann drove in another run with a double and Kyle McCann's run-scoring double extended the advantage to 5-0. Due to errors behind him, all of the runs charged against Tabor were unearned.

Tabor, who tossed a seven-inning no-hitter on Sunday in San Antonio, has not allowed an earned run in his last 25.2 innings. That total spans four starts.

The Soddies scored a run against Damron in the sixth, as Buddy Kennedy started the frame with an infield single and Renae Martinez laced a run-scoring double down the left field line. It would be Amarillo's only run of the game.

A bright spot was Amarillo's bullpen, which tossed two scoreless innings between the work of righties Joe Jones and Matt Brill. Sod Poodles relievers have not allowed a run in the last four games, spanning 10.1 innings.

The Sod Poodles and RockHounds finish their six-game series on Sunday afternoon, with first pitch at 2 p.m. in Midland. Right-hander Ryne Nelson throws for the Soddies, while righty Kyle Friedrichs takes the mound for the RockHounds.

Pregame coverage on Amarillo's NewsTalk 940 AM, Mix 94.1 FM, and the Sod Poodles Radio Network with Sam Levitt begins at 1:40 p.m.