STWF Sports | AMARILLO, Texas | June 26, 2026 — The Frisco RoughRiders continue to make HODGETOWN feel like a launching pad.

Behind five early solo home runs, a historic night from Max Wagner and a two-run rally in the 10th inning, the RoughRiders held off the Amarillo Sod Poodles 9-8 on Friday night to secure at least a split in their first series of the second half.

Frisco improved to 3-1 in the second half and 42-30 overall, while Amarillo fell to 1-3 and 37-35. The RoughRiders now lead the six-game series three games to one.

Frisco RoughRiders: A Team to Watch in the Second Half

The night started with a major boost for Frisco, as Texas Rangers center fielder Evan Carter joined the club on a Major League rehab assignment. He wasted no time making an impact.

Carter opened the game by crushing a 421-foot leadoff home run off Amarillo left-hander Avery Short, immediately giving Frisco a 1-0 lead and setting the tone for a loud offensive night. The blast was the first of five solo home runs the RoughRiders hit off Short through the first five innings.

Wagner supplied the biggest fireworks.

The Frisco infielder launched solo home runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings, recording the first three-homer game of his professional or collegiate career. His performance marked the first three-home run game by a RoughRider since Aaron Zavala accomplished the feat last August.

Wagner’s power display helped Frisco build early control and gave the RoughRiders another standout individual performance in a lineup that has been rolling since the start of the second half.

Ian Moller added to the home run parade with a solo shot of his own in the fifth inning, helping push the RoughRiders’ lead to 7-0. At that point, Frisco appeared to be cruising behind both the long ball and a strong start from Dalton Pence.

Pence opened his outing with four scoreless innings, keeping Amarillo quiet while Frisco’s offense built a comfortable cushion. The Sod Poodles finally broke through in the fifth when Cristofer Torin hit a three-run homer to cut the deficit to 7-3.

Amarillo kept charging in the sixth, scoring three more runs to make it a one-run game at 7-6. What had looked like a comfortable Frisco lead quickly turned into another tight HODGETOWN battle.

The RoughRiders carried that 7-6 advantage into the ninth, but Amarillo found one more swing. Gavin Conticello hit a game-tying home run, forcing extra innings and putting Frisco in another late-game pressure spot.

This time, the RoughRiders answered.

In the top of the 10th, Moller delivered an RBI double off Alfred Morrillo to put Frisco back in front. Julian Brock followed with an RBI single, giving the Riders a 9-7 lead and providing the insurance run they would eventually need.

Zach Bryant allowed a run in the bottom of the 10th, but he settled in with the game on the line and struck out the final batter to close a 9-8 Frisco victory. Bryant earned the win and helped the RoughRiders finish off a game that demanded every bit of their early power and late execution.

Carter reached base in all three of his plate appearances before exiting as scheduled in the sixth inning. He finished with a home run, a walk and a single in his first rehab action with Frisco.

Frainyer Chavez also continued his outstanding stretch at the plate, extending his hitting streak to eight games with another three-hit performance. Chavez is now 10-for-19 through the first four games of the series, continuing to spark one of the Texas League’s most dangerous offenses.

The RoughRiders have already clinched a postseason berth by winning the Texas League South Division first-half title, but their second-half start has shown no sign of a letdown. Frisco has opened the new half with power, depth and late-game toughness.

The series continues Saturday night at HODGETOWN, where the RoughRiders will look to clinch the series outright. Right-hander Ben Anderson is scheduled to start for Frisco against Amarillo right-hander Junior Sanchez. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.