Sod Poodles Drop Game 4 Against Travs

Amarillo, Texas - The Sod Poodles fell in game four against the Arkansas Travelers by a score of 10-6 on Friday night. Amarillo collected nine hits in the game and did more damage against one of the league's top pitchers than any other team in the process.

The Travs began the game with a leadoff home run on the very first pitch of the game thrown from Sod Poodles' starter, Slade Cecconi. The D-backs' No. 11 rated prospect then worked around a walk and single to get out of the inning without any further damage done.

RHP Taylor Dollard got the start on the mound for Arkansas and brought with him his 15-2 record and 1.95 ERA in 25 starts for the Travs this season. The Mariners' No. 7 rated prospect lived up to the billing early, allowing just one hit through his first three innings of work. Aside from the first pitch, the only other hard contact surrendered by Cecconi came in the top of the fourth inning. A leadoff single was followed by a double to put runners on second and third. The third hit of the frame added to the Travs lead for the time being.

The second time through the order was more productive for Amarillo with Tristin English starting the home half of the fourth with a single into center field. Two more singles, including the first Double-A hit for Deyvison De Los Santos helped score the first run of the game for the Sod Poodles.

De Los Santos wasn't the only new face to make an impact in the fourth inning. Caleb Roberts notched his first Double-A hit as well, his two-RBI double helped to push Amarillo in front.

As quickly as the Sod Poodles had gained the lead, the Travs took it back. Five hits in the inning, including two home runs off Cecconi put Arkansas back up four.

Amarillo, as they have all year, responded with runs. Jorge Barrosa drew a one-out walk and was scored by English's sixth Double-A home run. His berm shot to right field cut the deficit in half. De Los Santos collected his second hit of the night, later scoring on a Blaze Alexander double, making it a one-run contest.

The Alexander RBI double would be as close as Amarillo would get. The Travs added runs in the eighth and ninth innings, taking a 10-6 lead. The Sod Poodles were held to one hit over the final four innings after Dollard left the game.

The lone hit for Amarillo over the game's final four frames came via an Eduardo Diaz double in the bottom of the sixth with one out.

Now trailing in the series 3-1, Amarillo will need to win both games to close out the 2022 season at home in order to earn a series split with the Travelers. LHP Blake Walston (6-3, 5.29 ERA) gets the ball for Amarillo versus Prelander Berroa (2-1, 3.00 ERA) fresh off earning Texas League Pitcher of the Month honors for August. First pitch for SkyFest - the season's biggest fireworks extravaganza - is scheduled for 7:05 PM with gates opening at 6:00 PM.

Notes:

De Dos Santos: Arizona Diamondbacks No. 6 rated prospect, Deyvison De Los Santos collected Double-A hits No. 1 & 2 in a 2-for-4 night with a pair of runs scored. The 19-year-old currently ranks third among all minor leaguers with 150 hits in 2022.

Welcome To Double-A: Caleb Roberts also collected his first Double-A hit, a two-out two-RBI double in the bottom of the 4th inning to give Amarillo a lead at the time. Roberts was transferred to Amarillo at the start of the week along with A.J. Vukovich and De Los Santos from High-A Hillsboro. Roberts was taken by the D-backs' in the 5th round out of North Carolina in the 2021 MLB draft.

Put Some English On It: Tristin English hit his sixth Double-A home run in the bottom of the 5th inning. The two-run home run helped cut the deficit to two runs at the time and was an opposite-field home run, going to the fans located in the right-field berm.

Blaze Is On Fire: SS Blaze Alexander tallied another two-hits for the game, giving him 11 in the month of September. The Arizona Diamondbacks' No. 15 rated prospect is hitting .423 in the season's final month, including now three doubles, a triple, two home runs, and and eight RBI.