Sod Poodles Tie Game Late, Fall To Frisco 3-2

Frisco, Texas (May 16, 2023) – The Amarillo Sod Poodles dropped the opening game against the RoughRiders in Frisco on Tuesday afternoon. No-hit through six innings, Amarillo used a pair of hits including a game-tying home run in the seventh inning but fell 3-2 to start a two-week road trip across Texas.

Amarillo left a pair of runners stranded after a 19-minute top of the first inning saw D-backs top prospect Jordan Lawlar get hit on the hand and Roby Enriquez draw a one-out walk. Lawlar remained in the game in the top of the first inning on the bases but was replaced when the team took the field behind starter Chad Patrick. The right-hander worked quickly in the bottom of the first, tossing 11 strikes and a pair of punchouts to retire the RoughRiders in order to end the opening frame.

The RoughRiders and their starter, Tekoah Roby, matched the Sod Poodles' bottom of the first and retired Amarillo in the order they came to begin the second. The first run of the game came via a two-out, full-count, opposite-field solo home off the bat of Frisco's six-hole hitter. Patrick bounced back, picking up his third strikeout of the game to conclude the second inning.

11-straight Sod Poodles were retired by Roby following the walk by Enriquez in the top of the first as Amarillo was held hitless through the top of the fourth. The third and fourth hits of the day surrendered by Patrick were both left stranded after striking out his sixth batter of the day to end the bottom of the fourth inning.

Roby continued, striking out a pair in the top of the sixth to hold Amarillo without a hit. Newcomer Endrys Briceno made his Amarillo debut in relief of Patrick after being added to the roster prior to the game. Three straight RoughRiders' singles extended the Frisco lead to 2-0. A one-out walk loaded the bases and brought on Jackson Goddard from the Amarillo bullpen. The righty struck out a pair to escape the bases-loaded situation with Amarillo trailing 2-0.

The no-hit bid was broken up with an A.J. Vukovich one-out triple in the top of the seventh. The shutout bid was then broken up as D-backs' no.4-rated prospect Deyvison De Los Santos belted his fourth home run of the year to knot the game at two apiece.

Goddard then retired the RoughRiders in order to send the game to the top of the 8th. In relief of Roby, Frisco's Marc Church struck out four of the first five batters he faced.

The first pitch of the bottom of the eighth gave Frisco the lead once again. After retiring each of the first five batters he faced, the solo home run off Goddard was followed by a walk. The right-hander bounced back to strike out each of the next two batters. With two outs, southpaw Jake Rice was brought on to face the lefty hitter and needed just two pitches to induce a flyout and bring an end to the eighth with Amarillo trailing by a run.

The Sod Poodles sent hitters 2-3-4 to the plate to face Nick Starr in the top of the ninth. A lineout, popout, and strikeout would be how game one of the series came to an end.

The Sod Poodles will look to bounce back tomorrow in game two of the series in the metroplex. RHP Deyni Olivero takes the mound for Amarillo and will be opposed by fellow right-hander Jack Leiter for Frisco. First pitch on Wednesday is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

NOTES:

CHAD A DAY: Sod Poodles starter Chad Patrick worked 5.0 innings, setting a new season-high while collecting six strikeouts and allowing just one run. It was the third straight appearance from the right-hander with 6+ strikeouts. Over his last three starts, Patrick has allowed just three earned runs over 13.2 IP and has racked up 19 strikeouts during the stretch. His 5.0 IP on Tuesday was the most since his final start of the 2022 season on Sept. 11 with High-A Hillsboro on the road against Everett.

DDLS IN DFW: Deyvison De Los Santos tied the game and broke up Tekoah Roby's shutout bid with his fourth home run of the season with one out in the top of the seventh inning. The D-backs' no. 4-rated prospect has now mashed half of his season's home runs off RoughRiders pitching. He launched a solo homer off Nick Starr back on April 25th at HODGETOWN. He has tied Tim Tawa for 5th most long balls on the club this year, two off the pace set by Ryan Bliss and Tristin English. In nine games against the Rangers' Double-A affiliate this season, the 19-year-old is hitting .242 (8-for-33) with two homers, a double, five runs scored, five RBI, and four walks.

ONE STREAK STAYS, ONE STREAK STALLS : A.J. Vukovich extended his hitting streak to 11 games, one-off Tristin English's team-high 12-game streak. The D-backs' no.12-rated prospect collected a triple in the top of the seventh, his lone hit in four tries on Tuesday. It was Vukovich's second triple of the season and just the seventh of his pro career. He is now one away from tying his career-high for triples in a season, a mark he set during the 2021 season between High-A Hillsboro and Low-A Visalia. Ryan Bliss' nine-game hit streak came to an end after failing to record a hit in four at-bats. Still, his .394 average is tops in the Texas League, .38 points better than the next closest rival. Midland's Darell Hernaiz enters Tuesday hitting .354 on the year. It was just the third time in 30 games so far this year Bliss was held hitless.

MORE GOOD FROM GODDARD: Right-hander Jackson Goddard tied his season-high with 2.1 IP on Tuesday. He struck out five of the eight batters he faced, setting his season-high in strikeouts in the process. It was the most strikeouts in a game for Goddard since Aug. 26, 2019 when he was with then Single-A Kane County. In his last seven appearances dating back to April 21, Goddard has only allowed more than one earned run once in a span that covers 12.0 IP. During the stretch, he has accumulated an 11.25 K/9 rate.

DEUCES WILD: Amarillo was held to just two hits, tying the fewest hits in a game this season (5/4 at CC). Vukovich was also one of the two players to earn a hit in that game.

SEVEN TIMES AS RICE: In 12 total appearances this season, Jake Rice has not allowed a run in seven of those outings after retiring the lone batter he faced Tuesday.