AMARILLO, TX (August 2, 2026) -- The Amarillo Sod Poodles (18-15, 54-47) defeated the San Antonio Missions (14-19, 45-57), 7-6, in 10 innings on Sunday afternoon at HODGETOWN. In a series full of tightly-contested games, the finale was no different as Amarillo emerged victorious in their second straight extra-innings game.
A rematch of starting pitchers from Tuesday’s series opener, both offenses showed familiarity with their foe early in the game on Sunday. Jake Cunningham and Braedon Karpathios hit back-to-back solo home runs in the bottom of the first to put the Missions up 2-0.
The Soddies had a response in their first turn to bat against Jamie Hitt as a pair of walks spelled trouble for the southpaw. Ben McLaughlin’s double off the wall in left center field and Druw Jones’ sacrifice fly in the next plate appearance tied the game at 2-2.
The second time facing Hitt went well for Amarillo, as base knocks for Jansel Luis and McLaughlin allowed Jones to drive in his second run of the day with another sac fly in the bottom of the third. Productive outs continued to be a theme in the game with the Missions getting in the mix, as Albert Fabian scored the tying run on Luis Verdugo’s sac fly in the fourth inning.
Amarillo went back in front in the fifth, putting together a two-out rally that was aided by a miscue from the San Antonio defense. A double by Jones and a walk put two ducks on the pond for Junior Franco, who doubled in the go-ahead run before an errant relay throw from Wyatt Hoffman went into the third base dugout to make it a Little League three-run home run for the Soddies.
The Sod Poodles cushion shrunk from three runs to just one in the top of the seventh, beginning with a single and double against Dawson Brown to start his second inning of work with two runners in scoring position and no outs. A Brendan Durfee lineout to left field was deep enough to plate Verdugo before a two-out RBI single by Tirso Ornelas brought in Hoffman to make it a 6-5 game.
Brown held the lead for Amarillo into the ninth, where Logan Mercado was called upon for the save. The first two batters were retired quickly, but San Antonio showed life on an infield single by Durfee. Mercado had the Missions down to their last strike in the next two at-bats, but Carson Tucker and Ornelas hits kept the line moving as the Missions scored the tying run.
Luis Gil shut down the Soddies bats in the ninth to send the game to extras, where Mercado redeemed himself by stranding the placement runner at third base to turn in a scoreless frame. With one out in the bottom of the 10th, Jones singled up the middle and Angel Ortiz scored the winning run without a throw.
POSTGAME NOTES
KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES: Druw Jones was all over the stat sheet today, driving in three runs in a multi-hit effort...he also extended his team lead in stolen bases to 25 and made a highlight catch against the wall in center field to stop the bleeding for the Sod Poodles in the bottom of the first inning.
ON A MISSION: The Sod Poodles tallied their 12th win against the Missions this season...the most wins against San Antonio for Amarillo in a season are the 13 from the 2025 and 2022 seasons...the two clubs will square off six more times at HODGETOWN to end the regular season in September.