Streak Is "Chased" Away; RockHounds Win, 9-6

RockHounds 9, Amarillo Sod Poodles 6

(Matamoscas de Midessa 9, Pointy Boots de Amarillo 6)

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

HODGETOWN Amarillo, Texas

Chase Calabuig was one of the key players … and one of the great stories … for the RockHounds’ 2019 Texas League playoff team. The 2021 “chapter” of the story, however, had not been what he had in mind, entering Wednesday night’s game hitting just .183.

With one swing, Chase busted out and the RockHounds did, too. Calabuig’s grand slam home run in the fifth inning was the difference as the ‘Hounds defeated the Amarillo Sod Poodles, 9-6, snapping a five-game losing streak in the process.

Logan Davidson’s two-run home run … his first at the Double-A level … put the RockHounds on top, 2-0, in the first and Collin Theroux’s RBI double pushed the lead to 3-0 in the second.

Amarillo rallied back, scoring twice in the second and twice in the fourth, to take a 4-3 lead.

The Sod Poodles opened the door for the RockHounds in the fifth with Davidson reaching on a fielding error and back-to-back walks to Kyle McCann and JJ Schwarz loading the bases. Calabuig then drove a 2-0 pitch from Ryan Weiss over the wall in right-center for the grand slam and the RockHounds led, 7-4.

The ‘Hounds added single runs in the eighth and ninth, the latter on Jake Suddleson’s first Double-A home run, to take a 9-4 lead into the ninth.

The Sod Poodles scored twice and had the bases loaded with two out in the ninth against reliever Eric Mariñez (who had allowed just one run in his first 12 appearances) before Brett Graves came in to strike out Dominic Fletcher to close the door, earning his first save of 2021.

The ‘Hounds said “so long” to the five-game slide and evened the (six-game) series with Amarillo at a game apiece.

Kibbles & Bits

Nick Allen and Jake Suddleson led the RockHounds with two hits each. Nick is hitting .394 in seven games since returning from Team USA and the Olympic Qualifying Tournament and .314 for the season, ranking fourth in the Double-A Central.

Jeremy Eierman extended his hit streak to 10 games (13-40, .315) and is hitting .316 in the month of June.

Next Game

Thursday, June 17 vs. Amarillo Sod Poodles

HODGETOWN Amarillo, Texas

First pitch 7:05 p.m.

• Third of a six-game series and ninth of a 12-game road trip

Probable Starters

AMA: Matt Tabor (RH, 0-1, 11.25)

RH: Jared Koenig (LH, 2-0, 1.62)

Next at Rocky Town

The RockHounds return home Tuesday, June 22, to host the Wichita Wind Surge (AA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins) in a six-game homestand at Momentum Bank Ballpark (Tuesday-Sunday, June 22-27).