Sod Poodles Fall In Tulsa Despite Seven-Run Fourth

AMARILLO, Texas – A combined 24-run night in Tulsa went in the favor of the home team as the Sod Poodles dropped game two of their opening road trip of 2022. A seven-run fourth inning was not enough for Amarillo, dropping Wednesday's ballgame 13-11 to the Drillers from OneOK field on a chilly 57-degree night.

The second game of the opening road trip of the year felt eerily similar to Sunday's series finale against Midland at HODGETOWN. A back-and-forth affair with a lot of offense for each side. Tulsa jumped out to a 5-run lead after two innings of play. A scoreless third inning sent the Soddies to work offensively in the top of the fourth frame.

Eduardo Diaz started the big inning with a leadoff double. An error helped score Diaz ahead of a fielder's choice that didn't result in an out. Dominic Fletcher avoided a tag at second base while Leandro Cedeño hustled down the line to beat the throw. Each baserunner scored when Ti'Quan Forbes gapped a bases-clearing triple to left-center field. A single and walk placed another two runners aboard for Corbin Carroll. The No. 2 rated organizational product and 19th rated prospect in baseball capped the seven-run fourth inning with his second homer of the year.

The Drillers used a six-run bottom of the fifth including a grand slam from Michael Busch to re-take the lead.

Trailing 13-8, a bases-loaded double off the bat of Fletcher drew Amarillo back within two runs, the closest the team would get to the Tulsa lead. Fletcher stepped into the batter's box in the top of the eighth inning - this time as the potential go-ahead run. The inning ended on a sharply hit ground ball up the middle and a rangey play from Busch at second base and an easy flip to second for the force out.

A leadoff single by Leandro Cedeño started the top of the ninth trailing by two still. Wednesday's game ended on a double play with Tulsa taking game two of the series from OneOK Field.

The series will continue tomorrow with the Amarillo starting rotation turning over for the first time in 2022. Right-hander and D-backs' No. 6 prospect, Drey Jameson gets the ball for the second time this year. His season-debut came on Opening Night last Friday at HODGETOWN, going 1.2 P and six hits allowed with three punchouts. First pitch from Tulsa is scheduled for 7:05 PM and can be watched through MiLB.TV or listened to on the Sod Poodles Radio Network and News Talk 940 AM.

Notes:

Touchdown: The Sod Poodles put up seven runs in the fourth inning, their most runs in any single inning this season so far. The last inning of at least seven runs came September 11, 2021 vs. Tulsa at HODGETOWN. The Soddies used a seven run inning that night (3rd inning) en route to a franchise-high 20 runs in the game. The team now has six total innings scoring at least seven runs dating back to 2019. The 13 runs scored by the Drillers were a single-game high in 2022 along with their 15 hits.

Fletch Can Be A Thing: Through the first two games of the series, outfielder and D-backs No. 19 rated prospect Dominic Fletcher is hitting .444 (4-for-9) with six RBI including a season-high four RBI tonight. The 4-RBI night is the best of any Sod Poodle this year and tied the most RBI in a single game in his professional career. The former Arkansas Razorback drove home four in a game on June 8, 2021 against Corpus Christi.

Baskin In The Moment: No. 2 rated organizational product and No. 19 in all of baseball, Corbin Carroll, notched his second homer of the year on Wednesday night. Carroll capped the Soddies seven-run fourth with a no-doubter to straightaway right field off Drillers' Melvin Jimenez. In his last 44 at-bats dating back to his injury-shortened 2021 campaign, Carroll now has four homers in his last 44 at-bats - good for a homer every 11th at-bat currently.

Forbes On Fire: Ti'Quan Forbes continued his great start as a Sod Poodle and member of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. With a triple on Wednesday, Forbes is 4-for-13 with a home run, triple, and five RBI in three games played since joining the team on Sunday. The triple was the first of the year for any Sod Poodle player and his first triple since Sept. 17, 2021 when he was a member of Triple-A Charlotte. He now has 22 triples in his career.

Double Trouble: Sod Poodles opponents have had three 10+ run games along with two 15+ hit games. Amarillo has 10+ hits in all but one of their games this year and have now scored 10+ runs twice - and dropped both contests.

All-Time Capsule: Along with knotting the series at one a side this year, the all-time record against Tulsa in the regular season currently sits at 14-14. The Sod Poodles went 8-4 against the Dodgers' Double-A affiliate in '21 and were 5-9 in '19. The 3-2 series win in the 2019 Texas League Championship Series makes Amarillo +1 in the overall win column against the Drillers.