MIDLAND, TX (May 29, 2026) -- The Amarillo Sod Poodles (25-23) fell to the Midland RockHounds (26-23), 7-6, on Friday night at Momentum Bank Ballpark. Although Amarillo jumped out to a sizeable lead in the first inning, Midland rallied late and were walk-off winners for a second straight night.
Jansel Luis and Cristofer Torin opened the game with consecutive extra-base hits to draw first blood, while Ben McLaughlin doubled Amarillo’s advantage two batters later with an RBI single. On the very next pitch from Mitch Myers, Gavin Conticello crushed a no-doubt two-run homer as the Soddies tagged the Midland starter for four runs in the opening frame.
Although Daniel Eagen was immediately provided a four-run cushion, his command elduded him often in his three innings pitched. The Diamondbacks No. 7 prospect walked a season-high five batters in the abbreviated start, but limited Midland to just a run in the first and third innings.
Myers had settled in since the first, allowing just one baserunner over his next four innings. The bottom of the Soddies order was able to crack the code in his seventh inning of work, using a two-out RBI triple from Junior Franco to plate Danny Serretti to increase their lead to 5-2.
With both teams in their bullpen, Luke Mann answered the Soddies with a single in the home half of the seventh in Alec Baker’s third inning of work.
In the eighth, Amarillo scored its sixth run of the night on an airmailed throw home by Mann. However, Torin’s bid to end the bottom of the inning pulled McLaughlin off the first base bag. With the bases now loaded, Shane McGuire drove in a pair to bring Midland within a run.
In the ninth, the Sod Poodles could not come up with any insurance runs for a third straight frame. Amarillo stayed with Casey Anderson on the bump after stopping the bleeding in the eighth, but he opened his second inning of work with a single and a walk. A sacrifice bunt put the tying and winning runs in scoring position, and pinch-hitter Brennan Milone delivered with a two-run single as Midland walked away victorious.
POSTGAME NOTES
VARIETY PACK: The Soddies got a triple, double and single before Gavin Conticello capped off a four-run first inning with a two-run home run...it had been three years since Amarillo hit for the cycle as a team in a single frame, last accomplishing the feat in the second inning on July 3, 2023 vs. Tulsa.
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THREE’S COMPANY:** Already entering the game with a Texas League-leading 12 triples as a team, the Sod Poodles tallied two more three-baggers with contributions from Jansel Luis and Junior Franco...it was the 21st game with multiple triples in franchise history.