Cabrera Struggles the 2nd Time Against Frisco, Conticello Homers in Finale Loss

A rough start from Jose Cabrera puts the Sod Poodles behind the 8-Ball early in their 8-6 series finale loss on Easter Sunday to the Roughriders.

Kristian Robinson hit a leadoff triple to waste no time in getting the Sod Poodles a runner in scoring position, and Tommy Troy got the Sod Poodles on the board after dropping a hit streak extending single (11 Games) into center field. After a first inning that saw him throw 21 pitches and a slight delay when Frisco manager Carlos Cardoza ejected for arguing a hit by pitch that nabbed LuJames Groover, Frisco starter Trey Supak would settle in and face the minimum for the next 3 innings, while his offense built him a 5-1 lead.

That lead was constructed on the back of a rough first inning from Amarillo starter Jose Cabrera. Cabrera dominated the Roughriders in his first start of the series, tossing 6 innings of 1 run baseball and only walking 2. Unfortunately for Cabrera it looked like Frisco was ready for him this time. Back to back walks to Zavala and Walcott to start the game set up a Josh Hatcher double and a wild pitch that would score the second run to give Frisco a lead. Frisco would add one more in the first thanks to a fielders choice, and extend the lead when Abimelec Ortiz hit his second homer of the series in the bottom of the third to push the lead to 4-1.

Cabrera would be relieved after allowing Frisco to score in 3 consecutive innings from the third to the to the 5th with the final blow coming from Cooper Johnson, who had picked gone 3-3 on the day against the Sod Poodle starter. Cabrera would finish the day with a line of 4.2 innings pitched, giving up 8 hits 6 runs/earned, 3 walks, and 5 strike outs. Supak would go 5 innings, giving up 2 runs/earned, without walking a batter and striking out 4 Sod Poodles.

Gavin Conticello continued to contribute against the Roughriders this week when in the 6th inning he took the first pitch that Frisco right hander Peyton Gray threw to center field for a triple and would score the only Amarillo run in the inning when Caleb Roberts drove him in. Conticello gave his best at bat of the year so far in the very next inning, when he launched his second homer of the year after a 10 pitch at bat. The 3-run shot, to right field cut the lead to 8-6 Frisco. That was Conticello’s 7th, 8th, and 9th RBI of the series vaulting him into the team lead with 13 so far in 2025 including 5 consecutive games recording at least one.

Andy Weber had more hits on Sunday (3) than he had the entire series coming in (2). Weber came into Sunday afternoon hitting just .117 with 9 strikeouts and without a walk, but that afternoon something clicked and the Sod Poodles infielder went 3/4 with a double and scoring 2 runs.

The Sod Poodles bullpen put together one of their better outings of the 6-games series, giving up just two runs off of Alec Baker in the 6th innings when the Roughriders got back to back doubles from Aaron Zavala and Sebastian Walcott, and a single by Josh Hatcher that would be the final run that Frisco would need making the score 8-3. Amarillo reliever Jhosmer Alvarez made his first apperance since April 8th and pitched his first scoreless outing of 2025, only allowing a single walk that he cleaned up with a double play in his only inning of the afternoon. Alvarez gave the ball to Alfred Morillo who also gave Amarillo a scoreless inning to close their time on the mound for the game and the series.

After dropping the finale on Sunday the Sod Poodles next test is a showdown with the second place affiliate of the Padres, the San Antonio Missions who Amarillo has already dropped a series to in the season opener. I’m very excited to say that we will collaborating with Diego Garcia from East Village times to get a good perspective on the Missions pitching each night.