RockHounds Rally Falls Short in Game 5

Amarillo Sod Poodles 7, RockHounds 5                                                                  
Game 5, Texas League South Division Championship Series
Sunday, September 8, 2019
Security Bank Ballpark
The Texas League South went down to the wire .... again ... and the Amarillo Sod Poodles are the division champions.
A seven-run second inning powered Amarillo to a 7-0 lead that proved to be too much to overcome but the RockHounds battled back to within 7-5 before the game ... and season ... came to an end.
The Sod Poodles broke on top with a bases-loaded, three-run double from Kyle Overstreet in the second inning and Buddy Reed followed with an RBI single. A fielding error put another runner on base and Ivan Castillo then delivered what would be the decisive blow, a three-run home run to left field.
The RockHounds rallied back in the fifth inning with back-to-back-to-back singles from Greg Deichmann, Collin Theroux, and Dan Gamache to open the inning. Chase Calabuig's ground out and a sacrifice fly from Brallan Perez brought in the 'Hounds' first two runs and Nate Mondou sent an RBI double to left field. Tyler Ramirez then brought Mondou home with an RBI single, cutting the deficit to 7-4.
Collin Theroux ripped a solo home run in the sixth but relievers Jordan Guerrero (win) and Travis Radke (save) allowed only one base runner over the last three innings. Second baseman Owen Miller helped seal the win with a sensational catch on Calabuig's line drive in the last of the ninth, a catch that kept the tying run from coming to the plate.
The win was Amarillo's third straight in the series after the RockHounds won the first two games in the Panhandle.
Notable
The visiting team won all five games in the series.
Both half-season pennant races on the South Division went down to the last day (Amarillo won the first half and the RockHounds the second) and the playoff series went "the distance" and, thanks to a terrific 'Hounds comeback, went down to the wire in Game 5.
Tulsa earned a third straight trip to the Texas League Championship Series with a 5-1 win over Arkansas at ONEOK Field in Tulsa. The Travelers were 22-8 in the season series between the clubs, but the Drillers took the playoff series, 3-games-to-2.