Soddies Fall to Springfield in Game 1 of Texas League Championship

AMARILLO, TX (September 20, 2026) -- The Amarillo Sod Poodles (0-1) fell to the Springfield Cardinals (1-0), 7-2, on Sunday night at HODGETOWN in Game 1 of the Texas League Championship. Amarillo’s postseason woes at home continued as the Soddies will once again need to emerge victorious in consecutive road games in order to win a playoff series.

Making his second start of the playoffs was Junior Sanchez, who was greeted by a Tai Peete leadoff single and Rainiel Rodriguez working a walk. A wild pitch on a ball Jesus Baez chased for the first out allowed both runners to move into scoring position and later touch home on a first-pitch base hit by Won-Bin Cho.

The Cardinals followed a similar script to double their lead in the second inning, once again having the leadoff man reach before another wild pitch advanced Cade McGee into scoring position. Springfield’s third baseman scored on a Josiah Ragsdale two-out single into center that would chase Sanchez from the game after his first trip through the lineup. Southpaw Will Mabrey entered the game, but Peete’s second hit of the night drove in Ragsdale before the Soddies could get out of the frame.

Mabrey and Wellington Aracena combined to keep Springfield off the board from the top of third through the fifth, stranding at least one runner on base in each of those three innings. The Cardinals would not be silenced any longer once Tre Richardson III and Ragsdale reached base to begin the sixth inning, which set up a Peete three-run homer to give the visitors a 7-0 lead.

The Sod Poodles finally got on the board in the home half of the sixth when Carlos Virahonda punished a Tanner Franklin breaking ball over the heart of the plate for his first home run of the postseason.

Virahonda goes deep for the first time this postseason!#FinishThis pic.twitter.com/EqobhuDeam

— Amarillo Sod Poodles (@sodpoodles) September 21, 2026

Danny Serretti followed suit in the bottom of the seventh by lacing a 2-2 fastball over the right field fence to make it a 7-2 game.

SERRETTI WITH A TANK🧨#FinishThis pic.twitter.com/LKIaUZDuvu

— Amarillo Sod Poodles (@sodpoodles) September 21, 2026

However, those were just about the only mistakes made by the No. 6 St. Louis prospect, as Franklin struck out nine over his 6.1 innings pitched where he allowed seven hits and walked none. The Cardinals turned to right-hander Domenic Picone to record the last two outs of the seventh before he pitched a clean eighth inning.

Darlin Saladin came on in the ninth and was able to strand two runners on base to put any hopes of a miraculous Sod Poodles rally to bed, giving Springfield a crucial 1-0 series lead. The Cardinals and Sod Poodles will head to Route 66 Stadium next, with Game 2 scheduled to start on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m.

POSTGAME NOTES

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OKIE DOKIE, DR. JONES:* Continuing his tremendous playoff run at the plate tonight was Druw Jones, who went 2-for-4...Jones now has three consecutive multi-hit games and is batting .500 (9x18) with 5 RBI and a 1.050 OPS across four postseason games.

ROAD WARRIORS: The Sod Poodles fell to 2-8 all-time at home in the playoffs with their defeat in Game 1...Amarillo owns a 10-2 record all-time in postseason road games and went 6-3 at Route 66 Stadium earlier this year.