Sod Poodles Fall On 11th-Inning Walk-Off

Wichita, KS – The Amarillo Sod Poodles were defeated 6-4 on Friday night by the Wichita Wind Surge after a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the 11th inning.

The Sod Poodles scored in the 10th and 11th, but RHP Blake Rogers allowed four runs in extra innings in a losing effort. The game saw three ties and four lead changes.

Jorge Barrosa led off the game with a double for the Sod Poodles but neither team scored in the first two innings. Barrosa collected his second double of the game and Amarillo got two runners in scoring position in the 3rd, but it was the Wind Surge that got on the board first in the bottom of the inning.

Sod Poodles starter Blake Walston allowed one baserunner in both the 1st and 2nd innings and issued a two-out walk in the bottom of the 3rd. The Diamondbacks’ No. 3 prospect then surrendered a two-out RBI double to put Wichita on top, 1-0.

Amarillo quickly answered back in the top of the 4th. Roby Enriquez and Juan Centeno led off the inning with back-to-back singles, and Andy Yerzy drew a walk to load the bases. One run came in to score on a passed ball, but a strikeout and a popout ended the frame. Walston struck out two in the bottom of the 4th to keep it tied, 1-1.

Both teams added a run in the 5th to tie the game at two. Barrosa led off the top of the inning with a walk, and Leandro Cedeño collected his team-leading 55th RBI with an RBI single. The Wind Surge led off the bottom of the frame with a solo home run to tie the game.

Walston retired the next batter in the 5th and surrendered a single. With one out, he was relieved by Josh Green. Tonight was Walston’s first action since June 24 after a stint on the IL, and his outing ended at 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, and 4 strikeouts. The top prospect had a 10.31 ERA through his first five starts of the season, but he’s settled into Double-A and has shrunk that number to 6.32 on the year.

Catcher Juan Centeno caught Green's inherited runner trying to steal 2nd, and the reliever ended the inning after a walk and a flyout.

Neither team scored over the next three innings. Both teams went down in order in the 6th and 8th, and both singled in the 7th. Jeff Bain relieved Green in the 8th, ending his strong relief effort after 2.2 scoreless innings and four strikeouts.

Yerzy drew his second walk of the night to lead off the top of the 9th and he advanced into scoring position on a groundout. Jose Curpa joined him on the bases with a walk, but back-to-back groundouts ended the threat.

Bain notched a strikeout and allowed a single in the 9th before being relieved by Mack Lemieux. Lemieux allowed a single and loaded the bases with an intentional walk, but survived the threat and sent the game to extra innings with a double-play.

In the 10th inning, Tristin English started on 2nd base as the courtesy runner. He advanced to 3rd on an errant pickoff attempt, and Enriquez capitalized on the situation by scoring him on a sacrifice fly. Centeno doubled to put another runner in scoring position, but he was left stranded.

With a 3-2 lead, Amarillo turned to Blake Rogers in the bottom of the 10th. A sacrifice bunt advanced the courtesy runner to 3rd, and an RBI double tied the game and put the winning run in scoring position. Rogers responded with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning and extend the game. It was his first blown save of the season, as he was previously 6-for-6 in save situations.

Amarillo retook the lead with a run in the top of the 11th off the bat of Drew Stankiewicz. He singled on a soft line drive to center field, scoring Tawa from 2nd.

The Sod Poodles stuck with Rogers in the bottom of the 11th with another one-run lead. He issued a walk to the first batter, and the Wind Surge promptly won the game on a three-run walk-off home run from Andrew Bechtold.

Amarillo and Wichita both had nine hits, and the Wind Surge committed one error. The Sod Poodles pitching staff struck out 11, but the bats went 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base.

The series is now tied 2-2, and the first pitch for tomorrow’s game five is set for 6:05. RHP Deyni Olivero (0-6, 7.67 ERA) will be on the mound to face Wichita’s LHP Kody Funderburk (6-2, 3.06 ERA).

Notes:

Barrosa On Base: OF Jorge Barrosa reached three times on Friday night in a 2-for-5 effort. He led off the game with a double and collected another two-bagger in the 3rd. He also led off the 5th with a walk and scored his lone run of the game. Tonight's performance was his 19th multi-hit game of the year and moved him into second place on the team with 13 doubles. Through 57 games with Amarillo, he is batting .231 with 8 HR and 28 RBI.

Cedeñ-ocho: 1B Leandro Cedeño extended his hitting streak to eight games with a 1-for-5 performance. Over the streak, he is batting .469 with 4 HR and 13 RBI. He also collected his team-leading 55th RBI, which ranks second in the Texas League (Matt Wallner, SPR, 58). The seven-year pro is putting together the most productive season of his minor league career; he's already hit a single-season high 17 HR and is on pace to eclipse his single-season RBI record of 60 in 2021.

Almost Had It: RHP Blake Rogers was tagged with the loss after relinquishing a one-run lead in both the 10th and 11th innings. The Diamondback's minor league Pitcher of the Month in May has been lights-out in clutch situations this year and was 6-for-6 in save opportunities before tonight. The Sod Poodles bullpen has struggled to lock down wins this year, converting on just 15 of 32 save opportunities.

The R in Roby Stands For RBI: OF Roby Enriquez has been extremely productive since being promoted to Amarillo, and is batting .311 over his first 28 games as a Sod Poodle with 24 RBI. He plated a run tonight on a sacrifice fly in the 10th, his third game in a row with an RBI. Through seven games in July, Enriquez is batting .414 with 2 HR and 9 RBI.

Heartbreaker: Amarillo lost in walk-off fashion tonight for the sixth time this season. They have hit three walk-offs of their own, and are now 5-4 when tied after eight innings.