Top 10 Games: #5 – Sod Poodles Win First Half
"Heading into the final two games of the first half, Amarillo’s situation was simple when it came to winning the Texas League South first half title: they need to win both games, and Midland needed to lose both…and that’s exactly what happened." - Sam Levitt, Sod Poodles Broadcaster
"Heading into the final two games of the first half, Amarillo’s situation was simple when it came to winning the Texas League South first half title: they need to win both games, and Midland needed to lose both…and that’s exactly what happened."
- Sam Levitt, Sod Poodles Broadcaster
On June 17, 2019, after trailing in the standings for 66 of their first 68 games of 2019, the Sod Poodles would come down to the final game of the first half to clinch a playoff berth for the first time as a new franchise, and, for Amarillo historically, for the first time since 1981.
Following two huge victories against Tulsa at home to keep their playoff hopes alive – an 11-6 win Saturday night and 2-1 walk-off win on Father’s Day – the Sod Poodles traveled to Northwest Arkansas where a victory against the Naturals mixed with a Midland loss to Springfield would crown Amarillo as the first-half champions of the South.
Royals’ Major League rehabber Eric Skoglund made the start for Northwest Arkansas, making quick work of Amarillo, holding the Soddies to three scoreless innings.
After a pair of runs by the Naturals in the third gave Skoglund some breathing room, the Sod Poodles attacked in the very next frame for three runs in the fourth and an additional two runs in the fifth to take a 5-2 lead. The Soddies would plate three additional insurance runs behind a strong start by Lake Bachar make it a final 8-2 score.
Bachar finished after six quality innings and allowed two earned runs on two hits while striking out four batters. Sod Poodles’ relievers Blake Rogers, Evan Miller, and David Bednar combined to toss three no-hit innings.
In the mid-innings of the contest at Arvest Ballpark, the RockHounds were shut out 3-0 by the Cardinals and the victory clinched the Texas League First-Half South Division Championship and postseason spot for the Sod Poodles.