Sod Poodles win a thriller in extra innings on A.J. Vukovich RBI
SPRINGDALE, Ark. — The Amarillo Sod Poodles were down for much of the game against the NW Arkansas Naturals on Thursday night. They appeared to have pulled off a thrilling comeback win in the ninth inning only to watch the Naturals tie it up in the bottom half.
NW Arkansas only delayed the inevitable.
After the Naturals forced extra innings, A.J. Vukovich ensured Amarillo would need one more half inning as he netted the go-ahead, RBI single to score Deyvison De Los Santos for the 3-2 road victory.
Closer Jake Rice got the three outs the Soddies needed to move the Soddies to 7-5 overall on the season. It's the third consecutive week the Sod Poodles dropped a series opener before winning two straight.
It looked like it would be another NW Arkansas victory for much of the night, though.
Robert Glendinning hit an RBI single to score Tyler Tolbert in the bottom of the first inning, giving the Naturals a 1-0 lead. The game turned into a pitchers duel the rest of the evening — with each team using six hurlers on the mound. The two squads amassed 14 strikeouts a piece, while both allowed just four hits each.
Then came the ninth, which saw the Soddies trail 1-0.
Tristin English ended the scoreless streak with a two-RBI single to put Amarillo up 2-1. The game seemed to be won, but NW Arkansas answered in the bottom half with a solo home run from Jimmy Govern to tie the game up and force extras.
In the 10th, Vukovich showed why he's the Arizona Diamondbacks' 12th rated prospect. He, De Los Santos, English and Juan Centeno were the only batters to record hits for the Soddies on the night. The pitching MVP probably deserves to go to Andrew Saalfrank, who struck out five batters without allowing a baserunner in two innings.
Michael Otanez got the win while, also being credited a blown save opportunity. The save went to Rice, who didn't allow a baserunner in one inning of work.
The Naturals and Sod Poodles continue their series with a 7:05 p.m. Friday, while Saturday is slated for 6:05 p.m. The two squads conclude the six-game set at 2:05 p.m. Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Sod Poodles win a thriller in extra innings on A.J. Vukovich RBI
