AMARILLO, TX (August 1, 2026) -- The Amarillo Sod Poodles (17-15, 53-47) fell to the San Antonio Missions (14-18, 45-56), 7-5, in 11 innings on Saturday night at HODGETOWN. In a battle that featured many momentum swings throughout the evening, the Missions came away with the victory to snap Amarillo’s five-game win streak.
A two out rally in San Antonio’s first turn at-bat yielded a run after Braedon Karpathios doubled home a run to get the visitors on the board in the top of the first. The advantage was short-lived as Cristofer Torin worked his way on base as a 2-1 pitch grazed his knuckles with one away in the home half. He advanced to second on a wild pitch, to third on Angel Ortiz’s single, and scored on a Jansel Luis groundout to knot the game at one. Ben McLaughlin then stepped up to the dish and lined one the other way to bring home Ortiz and quickly put Amarillo in front.
Alec Baker took over on the hill for Amarillo in the top of the third with two inherited runners from Avery Short who exited in an abbreviated start. He induced a pop out and a fly out to strand the runners and keep the lead intact. However, Ryan Jackson got to Baker to lead off the fourth, homering to left-center to tie the game at two.
Amarillo responded with a leadoff knock of their own in the bottom half as Luis lined a ball to left field that a sliding Kai Murphy could not flag down, allowing the Sod Poodles’ third baseman to check in with a two-bagger. After moving up to third on McLaughlin’s groundout, he tagged up on a Druw Jones sacrifice fly to deep right field to give the hosts the one-run lead.
The back-and-forth battle continued into the fifth as Jackson struck again with a two-out RBI single to even the game at three. After Nate Savino set down the Missions in order in the sixth, San Antonio got back on the board and once again held the advantage after a Tirso Ornelas double led to a Karpathios run-scoring single down the left field line.
Trotting out of the bullpen to take the ball for the eighth was Sandro Santana who added on to an impressive 2026 campaign in a Sod Poodles uniform by retiring the side in order using only seven pitches to keep Amarillo within a run. It was Carlos Rey’s turn in the ninth to keep San Antonio bats at bay, and despite a pair of Missions reaching base on a walk and a hit, the lefty struck out Jackson to get the Soddies back in the dugout for their final at-bats.
McLaughlin represented the tying run as he walked to first with one away in the ninth and as the Soddies found themselves up against their final out, Alberto Barriga roped a double over the head of the San Antonio left fielder and off the wall. Amarillo third base coach Jaime Del Valle waved home McLaughlin and the first baseman just beat the throw to the plate to force extras.
Both sides traded runs in the 10th with Amarillo using an RBI single by Trent Youngblood to send the night’s marathon into the 11th. The Missions scratched two runs on base knocks by Kai Roberts and Jackson and the Soddies would bring the winning run to the plate in the home half. Entering the game as a defensive replacement earlier in the night, Adrian De Leon lined a ball into shallow center with two outs, but Roberts made an incredible diving catch to end the game as the Sod Poodles fell, 7-5.
POSTGAME NOTES
LUIS YOURSELF: Collecting a pair of knocks tonight was Jansel Luis, going 2-for-5, with a double and an RBI...he adds on to a solid homestand at the dish, batting .318 (7x22) with three multi-hit efforts in five games.
ANGEL EYES: Continuing a hot stretch at the plate in the contest tonight was Angel Ortiz who checked in with a multi-hit game and a run scored...over his most recent five games (7/28-c), he is batting .400 (8x20) with a 1.209 OPS and is currently riding a five-game hitting streak.