Sod Poodles Hold Off Late Missions Rally to Prevent Sweep 

SAN ANTONIO – Through two days it seemed like there was nothing the Sod Poodles could do to slow down a fiery Missions offense. That was until Spencer Giesting took the mound for Amarillo in the last game of a three-game set, preventing a Missions sweep as the Sod Poodles held off a late San Antonio rally to win 4-3.

Giesting pitched five shut-out innings, striking out five Missions and only allowing three hits, two of them being Devin Ortiz singles. Ortiz finished 5-9 with a home run and three RBIs in the series.

Braden Nett got the start for San Antonio, pitching three innings and allowing two runs, three hits, and walking two while striking out four Sod Poodles. Both runs scored against Nett were unearned and occurred in the top of the third. Tommy Troy reached on an Ortiz error, later coming around to score on a Jack Hurley double. LuJames Groover scored on a sacrifice fly by Christian Cerda.

Carter Loewen came into the game in the fourth to replace Braden Nett, allowing two more runs on a Gavin Conticello home run, giving Amarillo a 4-0 lead.

Manuel Castro, Ryan Och, David Morgan, and Josè Geraldo combined to pitch four shutout innings to keep the Missions offense in the fight. Their efforts gave the Missions a shot in the ninth.

In the ninth, the Missions offense woke up in the form of two lead off walks by Tyler Robertson and Anthony Vilar against Sod Poodle reliever Alfred Morillo. An RBI single by Romeo Sanabria scored Robertson, giving the Missions their first run of the game. Ethan Salas followed suit with a single, his first hit of the season, scoring both Vilar and Sanabria. This got the Missions within a run and made the score 4-3.

Marcos Castañon singled to place the tying run on third base, and Brandon Valenzuela entered to pinch hit. However, Valenzuela grounded into a game-ending double play, and the Missions comeback effort fell just short.

Attendance: 2,601

First Pitch: 1:05 CT

Weather: Clear 57 °F 24mph Wind NNW

UP NEXT:

Following an off day on Monday, the Missions will hit the road for the first time this year taking a trip down I-37 to Corpus Christi. The six-game series against the Hooks will begin on Tuesday. First Pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at Whataburger Field.

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The San Antonio Missions are the Double-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The 2025 season will be the 123rd professional season for the San Antonio Missions. The 2025 schedule is out now! Call 210-675- 7275 to discuss pricing for season tickets, group tickets and hospitality packages. The Missions Box Office is cashless, and fans can purchase tickets using credit cards. For more information, call 210-675-7275 or visit samissions.com.