Amarillo's Comeback Goes For Naught in Loss to Midland

AMARILLO, TX (August 12, 2026) -- The Amarillo Sod Poodles (22-19, 58-51) fell to the Midland RockHounds (20-21, 52-57), 11-10, in 11 innings on Wednesday night at HODGETOWN. The Sod Poodles showed fight in the late innings for another night against Midland, but their fortune would run out in the eleventh innings.

The newer additions to Amarillo’s lineup continued their power stroke, with the rehabbing Jordan Lawlar and Avery Owusu-Asiedu hitting back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Another new face, Diamondbacks No. 15 prospect Wellington Aracena, made his team debut as the starting pitcher, but was not helped by his defense in his second time through the RockHounds order. After a leadoff double by nine-hitter Cameron Leary in the third inning, an errant throw by Cristofer Torin put runners on the corners with none out. An RBI single by Devin Taylor and sacrifice fly by Euribiel Angeles to tie the game followed. Davis Diaz laced another extra-base hit over the head of Druw Jones in right field for two bases, which allowed Nate Nankil to put the RockHounds ahead with a base hit to left field to plate Diaz.

However, Torin immediately erased any damage done by his error by getting the three runs back for the Sod Poodles in the home half of the third, capping off the third of three straight hits to open the frame with a no-doubt three-run homer yanked to left field.

Aracena’s struggles would continue in his first taste of Double-A action, as Leary hit a two-run homer to tie the game at 5-5 in the top of the fourth. More damage continued to be done as a sequence of a walk, wild pitch, and bloop single off the bat of Angeles put the RockHounds back in front.

Midland built on its lead when Luke Mann took Josh Grosz deep to the opposite field for a two-run shot. After the Soddies stranded the bases loaded with one out in the fifth, they used an Angel Ortiz triple that opened the bottom of the sixth to set up Torin’s fourth RBI of the night when he singled on a line drive to left field to make it 8-6.

The top of the order created another scoring chance when Youngblood and Torin rattled off base hits to open the bottom of the eighth. The top of the order created another scoring chance when Youngblood and Torin rattled off base hits to open the frame. Owusu-Asiedu continued the hot start to his Double-A with another RBI before Druw Jones tied the game by beating out an infield single that allowed Torin to score.

After a scoreless ninth inning on both sides, the game headed to the tenth where a walk to Leary and bunt single by Casey Yamauchi opened the frame. Taylor dropped in a single right in front of Owusu-Asiedu and another blooper for Angeles in no man’s land plated the second run of the frame.

The Sod Poodles would not go down without a fight, where a walk and successful sacrifice bunt by substitution Junior Franco put Torin as tying run at second base. Midland had no answer for Owusu-Asiedu, who drove in both runners on a crushed line-drive double to center field to tie the game at 10-10.

The potential winning run could not be advanced any further, and Will Mabrey came on to pitch the eleventh for the Sod Poodles. He did his job, allowing just the placement runner to score on Mann’s hard-hit RBI single through the left side. Amarillo had ducks on the pond in the eleventh, but after the first out of the inning came at home plate on a grounder, Alberto Barriga was called out on interference sliding into second base, resulting in a game-ending double play for the RockHounds.

POSTGAME NOTES

LAYING DOWN THE LAWLAR: Jordan Lawlar hit his second home run in as many games this series and the 21st of his career with Amarillo... he remains 13th all-time on the franchise’s list while his 99 runs scored are 10th-most.
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GRAN TORINO: Cristofer Torin* extended his on-base streak to nine games on Wednesday, which is the longest active stretch among Soddies on the active roster...he’s slashed .341/.413/.537 for a .950 OPS with 11 runs and two home runs over the stretch (7/29-c).