Amarillo Sod Squad’s Julio Marcano (31) hustles down the first baseline during the Sod Squad’s, 9-6, against San Antonio at Hodgetown Tuesday night. [Tom Carver/ Press Pass Sports]The ongoing coronavirus took a back seat as baseball returned to Amarillo and Hodgetown for the first time in nearly 10 months Tuesday night.
In what felt like more like a welcome back celebration, the Amarillo Sod Squad made it an enjoyable night for the 2,153 fans who were socially distanced throughout the stands, as the Sod Squad came away with a 9-6 win in their Texas Collegiate League opener against the San Antonio Flying Chanclas.
It was obvious both teams were affected from the layoff of COVID-19, after the NCAA cancelled all spring sports in March.
The game saw 16 walks with eight total errors. The Flying Chanclas left 13 men on base including the bases loaded twice in the first two innings.
“Our defense was a little shaky,” which was expected,” Sod Squad manager Brett Wellman said. “But I didn’t expect the struggles in the field. We have really good players. Maybe it was first game jitters, but they know better. End of the day we got the win.”
Amarillo built an early 5-0 lead, taking advantage of four, 2-out errors by San Antonio in the bottom of the second inning, scoring four unearned runs.
Highlighting the second was twin brothers David and Julio Marcano, who each tripled in the inning. David had the first tripled followed a few batters later by Julio who plated two runs on his triple.
“That was crazy,” David said. “My brother had been saying he had more power than me so I wanted to go out and show him I could hack at it. Everyone in the dugout was calling it that he was going to triple also, so that was cool.”
Combined the Marcano twins went 4-for-7 at the plate with four RBI’s.
The insurance came when Sod Squad slugger Lyle Miller-Green hit the team’s first homer. After San Antonio cut the advantage to, 7-6, Miller-Green delivered a clutch 2-run shot to right field that extended Amarillo’s lead, 9-6, in the bottom of the seventh.
Amarillo Sod Squad lefty Mitchell Miller delivers a pitch against San Antonio on Tuesday night at Hodgetown. [Ben Jenkins/ Press Pass Sports]
West Texas A&M senior and Sod Squad pitcher Mitchell Miller had an impressive relief outing. The talented lefty struck out six hitters in 2.1 inning.
Amarillo native and Texas Tech sophomore Max Marusak had a nice debut. Marusak was 1-for-4 at the plate with a single, and a run scored. Defensively, the speedy Marusak ran down a blooper to shallow center for a highlight worthy put out.
Amarillo’s other Texas Collegiate League team made it a clean sweep, as the Sod Dogs went on the road and took down the Texarkana Twins, 12-2, in their season opener.
For a look at both teams schedule through July, visit sodpoodles.com