Back-And-Forth Battle Goes Against The Soddies In Series Finale Against San Antonio

AMARILLO, TX (June 15, 2025) -- The Amarillo Sod Poodles (27-36) fell to the San Antonio Missions (35-28), 8-5, on Sunday night at HODGETOWN. Both sides went back-and-forth on the scoreboard with the ninth inning providing the final blow to the Soddies in the series finale.

Only two batters into the action, San Antonio found their way onto the scoreboard as Francisco Acuna moved up to third on a wild pitch after his leadoff double, scoring on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Anthony Vilar for the 1-0 lead.

The Missions added on in the second with Moises Gomez collecting an RBI double to extend the San Antonio advantage to two.

On the first pitch he saw in his first at-bat of the game in the bottom of the second, Ivan Melendez launched a ball high and deep to left-center, clearing the wall to scratch the first Amarillo run of the night.

A Tommy Troy double advanced Kristian Robinson to third base in the home half of the third, but a fielding error by the San Antonio second baseman allowed Robinson to score, tying the game at two.

An RBI single from Nerwilian Cedeno put the Missions back in front in the top of the fourth. Later in the frame with one away and a runner at third, Acuna flied a ball to Caleb Roberts in left. A tag-up attempt was made from third, but Roberts’ throw home was in time to nab the runner to end the inning.

Down a run in the bottom of the fourth, an RBI triple from Roberts tied the game at three. The Sod Poodles added on an inning later to take a 4-3 lead when LuJames Groover drove one up the middle.

Brandon Valenzuela stepped up to the dish in the top of the seventh with a runner aboard and grabbed the lead for the Missions with a two-out two-run shot. Amarillo equalized courtesy of Robinson with a solo blast of his own to center field, knotting the score at five a side.

With traffic on the basepaths in the top of the eighth, Zane Russell was able to escape the bases loaded jam unscathed to keep the game tied.

A ninth inning bases-loaded single from Kai Murphy proved disastrous as a fielding error on the play allowed the bags to clear, giving San Antonio the 8-5 edge. The Sod Poodles were retired in order in the home half, falling in the series finale.

The Sod Poodles hit the road to take on Northwest Arkansas with first pitch on Tuesday night scheduled for 7:05 p.m. in Fayetteville. Neither side has announced a probable starter.

POSTGAME NOTES

HERE’S TO YOU, MR. ROBINSON: Checking in with his ninth long ball of the year this evening was Kristian Robinson as the center fielder went 1-for-3 with three runs scored, a home run, an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base...eight of his nine home runs this season have come at HODGETOWN...it is only the third time this season that a Sod Poodle has scored three runs in a game while recording no more than one hit.