Sod Poodles Rally Late Saturday Night 

AMARILLO – The Sod Poodles scored six runs over their final three at-bats Saturday night, besting the Hooks, 7-5, before 6,338 fans at Hodgetown.

Corpus Christi jumped out to an early 5-1 lead against lefty Tyler Holton. Marty Costes and Corey Julks doubled to start the first, paving the way toward a pair of runs.

Pedro León kick-started a three-run second with a lead-off home run to left for his third blast of the series.

The Hooks would manage just two base runners from the third thru the ninth, as Holton retired 14 of the final 15 men he faced. Southpaw Mack Lemieux was perfect over 2.1 innings, and Chester Pimentel earned the win by blanking CC in the eighth and ninth.

León managed to reach against Pimentel via a walk, but he was doubled off first to end the game, when Grae Kessinger’s hard-hit line drive was caught by the second baseman Jancarlos Cintron.

Hunter Brown made the start for the Hooks, holding the home club to a Dominic Fletcher solo home run over 4.2 innings. Brown, who struck out a personal-best 10 batters against three hits and two walks, has permitted just two runs in his last two starts, covering 8.2 frames.

Doubles by Michael De La Cruz and Jose Herrera against Nick Hernandez in the sixth cut the CC lead to 5-2. Brandon Lawson (0-2) entered in relief in the seventh, but the Sod Poodles pushed across two more to make it a one-run game.

With the Hooks clinging to a 5-4 lead, the first four Amarillo hitters reached in the eighth. Jose Herrera worked a walk before Fletcher and Geraldo Perdomo were both hit by a pitch. Pinch-hitter Cintron then sent a single up the middle to tie the game. A Tommy DeJuneas wild pitch handed the Sod Poodles their first lead of the night. Mikey Reynolds capped the scoring with a sac fly.

Despite the setback, Corpus Christi has won 5 of the last 7 games and can win the series at Hodgetown Sunday night. Cesar Rosado is slated to pitch for the Hooks while Luis Frías will take the ball for Amarillo. First pitch 6:05.