Offense Explodes For 12 Runs In Win Over Corpus Christi

May 7, 2024 – Texas League (TL)
Amarillo Sod Poodles News Release

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Amarillo Sod Poodles started their road trip in south Texas with a 12-5 win over the Corpus Christi Hooks on Tuesday night. Amarillo’s offense was paced by the heart of the order in an overall balanced effort. The 2-5 hole hitters combined to go 10-for-18 with two extra-base hits, five RBI, and seven runs scored. In total, five of the nine starters all recorded multi-hit efforts and three players chipped in with multi-RBI games.

Following a late scratch, the Sod Poodles faced Alex Santos II to start the game instead of the scheduled Aaron Brown for Corpus Christi. Amarillo drew a two-out walk in the first but was unable to do anything else in the inning. Sod Poodles starter Cole Percival surrendered a pair of singles in his first inning of work but was aided by a caught stealing and his first strikeout of the evening to leave a runner stranded in scoring position.

Ivan Melendez and A.J. Vukovich began the second with a pair of singles to put runners on the corners. A one-out walk loaded the bases; but not for long. A balk brought home the game’s first run before Logan Warmoth drove home two more with a single. Percival sent his offense back to work leaving a two-out Hooks double stranded to end the second.

Amarillo exploded for six runs in the top of the third. Deyvison De Los Santos started the onslaught by hitting his Double-A-leading 11th home run of the season. Melendez picked up his second hit of the night before stealing second. Consecutive walks loaded the bases for Kristian Robinson. The D-backs no. 17-rated prospect brought home the sixth Sod Poodles run and allowed the other two base runners to move up a bag with a sacrifice fly to deep center field. Tim Tawa added to his career RBI total, picking up numbers 107 and 108 with a single. Amarillo designated hitter and two-hole hitter J.J. D’Orazio capped the six-run inning with a two-out RBI double.

The bats were cooled down over the next two-plus innings by Cesar Gomez. The Corpus Christi right-hander faced the minimum he was tasked to face after replacing Santos II following D’Orazio’s RBI double. Gomez allowed Melendez to collect his third hit of the night in the top of the fourth but induced an inning-ending double play before getting all three batters he faced in the fifth to ground out.

Corpus finally broke through against Percival in the bottom of the fourth. The Amarillo right-hander…