Amarillo Wins Third Straight In Midland

MIDLAND, TX (May 4, 2025) -- The Amarillo Sod Poodles (12-15) defeated the Midland RockHounds (13-14), 6-2, on Sunday afternoon at Momentum Bank Ballpark. The offense erupted for five runs in the seventh inning to secure their third straight victory.

Midland scored first in the second inning on a sacrifice fly to left field. The Soddies got the run right back after third-inning singles from Jack Hurley and Kristian Robinson. With runners on the corners, Tommy Troy tied the game with a productive at-bat and fourth RBI of the series.

Amarillo starter Avery Short struck out the side in the third and totalled five punchouts through four. He worked around a one-out double in the fifth, continuing his strong outing.

Midland grabbed the lead again with Euribiel Angeles’ solo shot that cut through the wind and over the left field wall. Short got out of the inning without any more damage to complete his sixth and final inning of work, the third quality start in a row for Amarillo.

Down 2-1, the Soddies put up a five-spot in the seventh that sent 10 hitters to the plate. Andy Weber, Jose Fernandez and Hurley hit consecutive singles to open the frame. Robinson reached on a error that scored Weber to tie the game, before Troy’s RBI single and Manuel Pena’s two-run knock gave Amarillo a 5-2 advantage. Three batters later, Christian Cerda added a sacrifice fly that scored Troy for a 6-2 lead.

Reliever Conor Grammes recorded a scoreless seventh and notched two strikeouts in his only inning of work. Luke Albright held Midland off the board in the final two frames to put a bow on the ballgame and Amarillo’s second consecutive series victory.

The Sod Poodles will be back in action on Tuesday, as they open a six-game home slate with the Tulsa Drillers, the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The series opener is set for an 11:05 a.m. first pitch with STEAM Day at HODGETOWN, and neither team has named a starting pitcher.

POSTGAME NOTES

ROBINSON STRIKES BACK: With a 2-for-4 afternoon, Kristian Robinson secured his third straight multi-hit game...is the third time this season a Sod Poodle has accomplished this feat...also notched two stolen bases today, the first occurrence since Wilderd Patiño did it on August 9, 2024 vs. NW Arkansas.

JOSE THE JEDI: A seventh-inning base knock extended Jose Fernandez’s hit streak to eight games...is hitting 11-for-30 (.367) with three doubles, a home run and seven RBI over this stretch...the eight-game streak is tied for his career long, a July 30 to August 10, 2023 stretch with Low-A Visalia...the streak is tied for the team’s third-longest hitting streak this season (LuJames Groover & Gavin Conticello).

REVENGE OF THE SEVENTH: The Soddies flipped today’s game on its head, scoring five times in the seventh inning...Amarillo recorded five hits in the frame, the second time that has been accomplished this season (April 18 at Frisco in a four-run first inning)...this is the third five-run frame in 2025.

PENA IS NO PADAWAN: Collecting his fifth multi-hit game this season straight game was Manuel Pena...the designated hitter notched a 3-for-5 day with two RBI and has hit safely in seven of his first eight games at the Double-A level...was his first three-hit ledger since going 3-for-4 on August 18, 2024.