Amarillo’s road to the 2026 Texas League Finals ended with one last strikeout, one airborne pitcher and a mound full of teammates.
| Texas League Semifinal | R |
|---|---|
| Amarillo Sod Poodles | 8 |
| Frisco | 7 |
The Double-A Sod Poodles held off Frisco on Friday night at Riders Field, clinching the series after fighting back from a six-run hole in Thursday’s elimination game. The 8-7 victory sent Amarillo into the league championship round.
Arizona right-hander Alfred Morillo supplied the final out in the bottom of the ninth, then made sure nobody would forget it. After the game-ending punchout, Morillo flung aside his glove and uncorked a clean backflip on the mound.
Catcher Alberto Barriga, Arizona’s No. 16 prospect, raced in from behind the plate as the rest of the Amarillo club poured from the dugout. It was a fitting finish for a series that had kept swinging from one side to the other.
Amarillo heads to the Finals
The Sod Poodles now face Springfield in a best-of-three Texas League Finals beginning Sunday. Amarillo will bring a club led by outfielder Druw Jones, Arizona’s No. 23 prospect and the son of Hall of Famer Andruw Jones.
Springfield arrives with a Cardinals-heavy prospect group, giving the Finals no shortage of young talent on the field. Amarillo, meanwhile, is chasing its third Texas League championship in seven seasons.
Minor League baseball has seen plenty of strikeout celebrations over the years, including left-hander Jefry Yan’s emphatic work before he reached the Mets this season. Morillo’s backflip belonged in its own category: one smooth jump after one pressure-packed ninth inning, with a trip to the Finals secured beneath him.
