FRISCO, TX (September 3, 2026) -- The Amarillo Sod Poodles (34-26, 70-58) fell to the Frisco RoughRiders (30-30, 69-59), 14-12, on Thursday night at Riders Field. After giving up a six-run lead early and fighting back to take a one-run advantage in the late innings, the Soddies ultimately fell in heartbreaking fashion in the high-scoring affair.
Amarillo rallied in the top of the second with six straight Sod Poodles reaching safely to open the scoring. Two singles and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, giving way to Matt O’Neill’s RBI knock and Jean Walters’ bunt single to drive in the first two runs. The Soddies capped the six-run inning when Trent Youngblood found a pitch he liked and lined it the other way and over the wall for Amarillo’s fifth grand slam of the year and a hefty advantage early on for the visitors.
Frisco cut into the deficit slowly, using a Max Wagner RBI groundout and a Luke Hanson single to center in the second to put a pair of Frisco runs on the board.
Bringing his 2026 Double-A home run total to double digits to lead off the third for Amarillo was Angel Ortiz as his solo homer landed in the lazy river in right field and made it a 7-2 ballgame.
In the bottom of the third, however, Frisco strung together four straight hits to begin the frame, including Arturo Disla’s two-run home run. They added one more on a groundout to chase Soddies starter Junior Sanchez from the game. The different arm action from Antonio Menendez out of the Soddies bullpen did not deter the ‘Riders as Marcus Lee Sang added an RBI single and Sebastian Walcott later hit the game-tying home run to make it a brand new ballgame.
Amarillo went hitless over the next two innings before Frisco took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. An inning later on a 3-2 count with two outs, Malcolm Moore launched a two-run homer to right field to give Frisco a three-run lead. The RoughRiders’ scoring spree continued into the seventh with the hot-hitting Dylan Dreiling doubling home a run to make it 11-7.
The Soddies fought back in the eighth for the second straight night with Ben McLaughlin reaching on a hit-by-pitch and O’Neill walking to put a pair of runners on base. Walters then roped a double over the right-fielder’s head to bring one across and was followed by a Youngblood single through the right side to bring home another. Frisco went to the bullpen and saw Eric Loomis struggle to find the strike zone upon entering as a wild pitch allowed Walters to score and pull the Sod Poodles within one.
Back-to-back walks loaded the bases for Ortiz who walked to bring in the tying run. While Loomis continued to struggle with command, a wild pitch allowed Cristofer Torin to sprint home to score the go-ahead run, giving the Soddies the 12-11 lead after the five-run frame.
The advantage was short-lived, however, as Luke Hanson crushed his first career Double-A homer, a go-ahead three-run shot that made it 14-12 and put Amarillo up against their final three outs.
Walters and Youngblood walked with one out to bring the go-ahead run to the plate once more, but a strikeout and a groundout followed, bringing an end to the marathon as the Soddies were tagged with their second straight loss.
POSTGAME NOTES
FOREVER YOUNGBLOOD: With his grand slam in the second inning tonight, Trent Youngblood extended his on-base streak to 21 games, tying Ben McLaughlin for the longest on-base streak among Sod Poodles this season...since the streak began on August 8, is reaching base at a .440 clip...since August 2, he ranks 2nd in the Texas League in runs scored and has now scored in five straight games.
I GOT FIVE ON IT: Amarillo posted a five-run eighth inning for the second straight game to overcome a four-run deficit tonight...it is the second time in the Amarillo’s most recent five games where the Soddies have erased a four-run deficit in the eighth inning or later.