Walters Seals Soddies Win With Walk-Off Homer

AMARILLO, TX (July 12, 2025) -- The Amarillo Sod Poodles (42-44) defeated the Frisco RoughRiders (44-41), 5-3, on Saturday night at HODGETOWN. All of Amarillo’s offense came via the long ball with the Soddies taking the victory in walk-off fashion.

Both starting pitchers worked out of jams in the first inning this evening. Jose Cabrera toed the rubber for the Sod Poodles, posting a zero in the opening frame after allowing two to reach via base knocks.

Frisco scratched the first run of the game in the second as Frainyer Chavez launched a two-run home run to give the RoughRiders the early lead.

A pair of Amarillo batters reached base in the second with only one away, but were stranded as the next two Soddies were retired on strikes.

The third inning brought success for the home squad as Kristian Robinson got things started with a single up the middle. Ryan Waldschmidt later collected a base knock of his own and with one away, both outfielders crossed home plate on Manuel Pena’s three-run bomb to right field, putting the Sod Poodles in the lead, 3-2, by the end of the inning.

A throwing error allowed Frisco to equalize in the sixth, tying the game at three as Abimelec Ortiz was the beneficiary of the errant toss.

Coming in to pitch out of the Amarillo bullpen in the seventh was Jhosmer Alvarez. The righty from Venezuela tallied three innings to keep Frisco off the board, recording three strikeouts in the process.

With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth, Caleb Roberts walked with one out in the inning, representing the winning run. On the first pitch he saw, Jean Walters crushed an up-and-in slider deep to right-center, placing it halfway up the berm for the walk-off two-run bomb, giving Amarillo the 5-3 win.

The Sod Poodles play their final game before the All-Star Break with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. on Sunday night against the RoughRiders. RHP Alec Baker (2-2, 3.50) is scheduled to make the start for Amarillo while Frisco sends RHP Trey Supak (5-3, 4.48) to the hill.

POSTGAME NOTES

BAHAMIAN RHAPSODY: Checking in with a base knock and a stolen base this evening was Kristian Robinson...the Bahamian swiped his 20th bag of the year in the first inning tonight, becoming the ninth Sod Poodle in club history to steal 20 bases in a single season...has hit safely in eight of his most recent 10 games, reaching base at a .421 clip over that span.

MELLOW CELLO: Extending his hit streak to six games tonight was Gavin Conticello as the right fielder went 2-for-4 with a double...since June 26, he’s batting .368 (21-for-57) with six extra-base hits and a .909 OPS.

JEAN, JEAN, HITTING MACHINE: Playing hero with the walk-off two run bomb tonight was Jean Walters...was only his fifth homer in a Minor League career that spans 288 games played...his most recent home run was in the ninth inning on August 23, 2024 in a game where Amarillo defeated Corpus Christi on a walk-off homer from Caleb Roberts.