STWF Sports| FRISCO, Texas| September 18, 2026 — The Frisco RoughRiders’ season comes down to one game.

Frisco and the Amarillo Sod Poodles enter Friday night tied 1-1 in the best-of-three Texas League South Division Series, with the winner advancing to face Springfield in the Texas League Championship Series.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT at Riders Field.

The RoughRiders will hand the ball to left-hander Blake Townsend, who went 4-5 with a 5.06 ERA during the regular season. Amarillo will counter with left-hander Joe Ariola, who enters with a 0-0 record and 0.00 ERA.

Key Players for the Frisco RoughRiders in Game 3

Frisco had an opportunity to close out the series Thursday but could not hold a six-run lead in a 12-7 loss.

The RoughRiders jumped ahead quickly, scoring five times in the first inning behind two-run doubles from Gleider Figuereo and Max Wagner. Sebastian Walcott added a solo home run in the second to make it 6-0.

Amarillo responded with runs in four consecutive innings and eventually took its first lead in the sixth on a two-run single from Druw Jones. Frisco tied the game in the seventh on an RBI single from Paxton Kling, but the Sod Poodles answered with three runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth.

The loss set up Friday’s elimination game.

Frisco is making its 11th postseason appearance in franchise history and its first since 2024. The RoughRiders earned the playoff berth by winning the Texas League South Division first-half title with a 39-29 record.

The organization has won two league championships, in 2004 and 2022.

Friday’s matchup continues a season series that has been nearly even from the beginning.

Frisco and Amarillo split their 18 regular-season meetings at 9-9. The two teams combined for 75 home runs in those games, with Frisco holding a 41-34 advantage in homers and a 140-135 edge in runs scored.

Several RoughRiders hitters have consistently produced against the Sod Poodles.

Marcus Lee Sang hit .450 with a .515 on-base percentage and a 1.198 OPS in 15 regular-season games against Amarillo. Dylan Dreiling and Wagner each hit four home runs in the matchup.

Dreiling remains one of Frisco’s biggest offensive threats. He finished the regular season second in the Texas League with a .312 batting average and totaled 22 home runs, 84 RBIs and 148 hits.

Frisco’s offense was among the most productive in Double-A throughout the year. The RoughRiders led Double-A with 1,276 hits and a .272 batting average while ranking second with 827 runs.

The pitching staff, however, has been tested heavily throughout the series.

Frisco used eight pitchers in Thursday’s loss and issued a season-high 10 walks. The bullpen also carried one of the heaviest workloads in Double-A late in the regular season.

That puts added importance on Townsend providing stability early in Game 3.

The equation is simple for both clubs.

Win, and the season continues with a trip to the Texas League Championship Series against Springfield.

Lose, and the season ends.

After 137 regular-season games and two tightly contested playoff matchups, Frisco’s championship hopes now rest on one final night at Riders Field.