SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KFDA) – Amarillo did not score until the final at-bat of the game, but when the Sod Poodles needed runs the most, they delivered.
A two-run ninth inning lifted Amarillo past San Antonio, 2-1, Wednesday night at Nelson Wolff Stadium, evening the series at one game apiece.
Missions strike first, hold lead into the ninth
San Antonio got on the board in the second inning when Braedon Karpathios led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Albert Fabian. That run stood as the only offense for either side through eight innings.
Amarillo starter Ashton Izzi limited the damage throughout his outing. He stranded a runner in the first after Carson Tucker singled and advanced on a sacrifice bunt, then held San Antonio to just the one run in the second.
Izzi worked into the seventh inning before Sandro Santana took over with two outs, closing out the frame; Izzi finished with 6.2 innings pitched and six strikeouts.
Amarillo threats fall short until the ninth
The Sod Poodles had chances to tie the game earlier but could not convert. Back-to-back one-out singles in the first inning went for nothing. In the sixth, Ben McLaughlin led off with a single and Druw Jones followed with a walk, but San Antonio reliever Josh Mallitz retired the next three batters to strand both runners.
Santana kept Amarillo within striking distance by retiring the Missions in order in the eighth, capping the inning with a strikeout of Kai Roberts on a sweeper.
Ninth-inning rally seals the win
Jack Hurley opened the ninth with a walk and moved to third on two wild pitches.
Matt O’Neill drew a walk, and Junior Franco followed with a blooper that dropped into the infield dirt just beyond the reach of the drawn-in San Antonio defense, scoring Hurley to tie the game.
With the bases still loaded, Demetrio Crisantes hit a chopper to second base, allowing the go-ahead run to score.
Carlos Rey entered in a save situation and retired the side in order, striking out two, to close out the 2-1 Amarillo victory.
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