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Amarillo, Texas — The Pointy Boots de Amarillo scored four runs over the final three frames, including one in the ninth to send it to extra innings. Frisco plated one in the 10th while the potential tying run for Amarillo was thrown out at the plate as Amarillo fell to Frisco in extras 7-6 Wednesday night. D-backs’ No 12. rated prospect Tommy Henry got the start on the mound for Amarillo. After giving up a leadoff double, Henry retired the next two Frisco batters he faced. Rangers No. 1 rated prospect Josh Jung was not an easy out, taking an off speed pitch over the right field fence as the Riders took a 2-0 lead after the top of the first.
The Pointy Boots stepped into the batter’s box against Rangers No. 7 rated prospect, RHP Hans Crouse. Amarillo went down in order after a ground out, strikeout, and flyout kept the first three batters in check. Henry issued a walk to the leadoff man in the second but retired the next three in order to get out of the top half unscathed. After having to throw just 13 pitches to get out of the first inning, Ryder Jones forced Crouse to throw 11 pitches in a leadoff walk to start the second inning. A second walk to Renae Martinez two batters later moved Jones into scoring position. Consecutive strikeouts kept both stranded and kept the game at a 2-0 advantage for the RoughRiders.
Henry retired eight straight batters after the leadoff walk to start the top of the second. Frisco notched their second hit of the game with a twoout single to center field. Henry, who leads Amarillo’s pitching staff and is third in the Double-A Central with his 76 strikeouts, notched his second of the night to get out of the top of the fourth. Buddy Kennedy singled into right-center field with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning for the first Amarillo hit of the night. Martinez grounded out to shortstop, putting an end to the bottom of the fourth for Amarillo. A solo home run with one out in the Frisco half of the fifth inning pushed the RoughRiders lead to three runs.
Luis Basabe drew a leadoff walk before a double off the bat of Mikey Reynolds gave Amarillo runners on second and third. A ground out scored Basabe, plating the first run of the game for the Pointy Boots. Two batters later, D-backs’ No. 15 rated prospect Dominic Fletcher brought Amarillo within one run on a sac fly into left field, scoring Reynolds.
Henry retired the RoughRiders in order in the top of the seventh, setting a new career-high for innings pitched in the process, getting through seven innings in just 81 pitches.
Thomas doubled with one out in the bottom of the seventh, advancing to third after avoiding the tag by Jung at third base on a Fletcher fielder’s choice. Stone Garrett singled into center field, scoring Thomas and tying the game in the process. The Pointy Boots left two runners stranded, unable to take their first lead of the night.
Henry came back out for the start of the eighth. A line out to shortstop was followed by a single from the RoughRiders leadoff batter. A chopper to the right side forced the runner out at second base while also putting an end to Henry’s start. With three straight right-handed hitters coming to the plate, Manager Shawn Roof made the call to his bullpen and right-handed pitcher Matt Brill.
Two walks and a pair of singles pushed the RoughRiders ahead by three runs, giving Amarillo work to do in their half of the eighth.
Reynolds roped a two-out double down the left field line. Jancarlos Cintron then hit his first home run since hitting a grand slam here at HODGETOWN on June 13th. His second home run of the year cleared the ribbon board in left field, drawing the Pointy Boots within one run of the lead. Joe Jones came on for his fifth appearance of the season in the top of the ninth. A one-out double that caromed off the right-field fence barely staying in, kept the game at one run after Jones struck out the next two batters he faced.
A Frisco pitching change began the bottom of the ninth. Fletcher was hit on the fourth pitch of the at bat to start the late push. Garrett then reached on a throwing error by the Frisco shortstop, allowing Fletcher to move to third on the play. A warning track sacrifice fly sent Fletcher home, tying the game at 6-6 with just one out. Roof then got aggressive with Garrett on the base paths, swiping both second and third base, putting the potential winning run 90 feet away with one out in the inning. A sliding stop by Jung at third base took a base hit away from Kennedy and more importantly stopped Garrett from breaking for home. Frisco got out of the Pointy Boots threat after a strikeout ended the inning and sent the game to extra innings.
Right-hander Blake Rogers became the fourth pitcher of the night for Amarillo when he took the mound to start the top of the 10th. A wild pitch advanced the runner to third. Thomas then robbed a double from Jung, leaping and crashing into the left field wall; however Frisco took the lead on the sac fly. Rogers sent the Pointy Boots to bat after striking out his second batter of the inning. With Amarillo chasing one run to tie, a strikeout and groundout had the team down to their final out. A single into left field was deep enough to send Martinez home, but a perfect throw from the outfield beat the Matinez slide by a step, ending Amarillo’s comeback bid with the Riders holding on for the 7-6 win.