They love football in Texas, and that appeared to be the case at Potter County Memorial Stadium on Saturday as the Amarillo Thunderheads defeated the Lincoln Saltdogs 16-8. Both teams wound up with 16-hits, but the home team was able to do a lot more with their opportunities on their way to the victory.

By the score it appeared that Amarillo got one more touchdown and two-point conversion than Lincoln, but that was not the case at all. This was not a football game. This was baseball, and Amarillo is quickly proving that they are a top tier offensive team in the American Association this season.

Zach Varce started for Lincoln while Matt Larkins got the nod for Amarillo. The Saltdogs took the lead after two innings with three combined runs. In the top of the first, CJ Ziegler grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Matt Forgatch for the first run, and Mitch Canham singled to score Ziegler for the other first inning run. In the second Forgatch drove home Eddie Young to make it 3-0 Lincoln.

Varce retired the side in order through the first two innings, but in the third the roof started to cave in on him. Two singles and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for Logan Vick, who singled to score Rene Leveret and Taylor Smart. A fielder’s choice plated Jordan Guida, and Drew Heid’s base hit drove home Zack MacPhee to give the Thunderheads the lead.

Neither team was able to score in the fourth, but in the bottom of the fifth Amarillo blew the game open. Vick was walked to lead-off the inning. He stole second and advanced to third on an error on the throw by the catcher. MacPhee grounded out to score Vick and it was 5-3 Amarillo. A walk to Jason Martin and a single by Heid put runners at the corner with one out. Geraldo Valentin singled to score Martin and an error moved both runners into scoring position. That brought Juan Martinez to the plate, who singled on the first pitch Varce threw to him, plating both runners, and increasing the lead by five.

That would be the Saltdogs starter’s last pitch. Jared Gaynor came into relieve, and he was greeted by Leveret, who took a 1-0 offering from the left-hander and deposited it over the wall for his second home run of the season. That made the score 10-3, and it seemed that Lincoln was not coming back in this one.

These ‘Dogs have no quit in them, however. In the top of the sixth Lincoln got three of those runs back. Canham singled to begin the top of the sixth, and scored when Ryan Lashley followed with a double. That brought up Mike Gilmartin who lined a shot into center field that scored Lashley. A wild pitch moved Gilmartin to third and he scored on a sacrifice fly by Eddie Young. That made the score 10-6.

The Thunderheads allowed the Saltdogs to pull within four, but they responded immediately to extend the lead. Drew Heid began the inning with a hit, and two batters later Juan Martinez singled to move Heid to third. Martinez stole second and both runners scored when Taylor Martin singled into center field to extend the lead to six.

In the top of the seventh Lincoln scored a single run. Canham’s pop out brought Brian Joynt across the plate, giving the Saltdogs there seventh run of the game.

In the bottom of the eighth the Amarillo Thunderheads put up another big inning. With MacKenzie King pitching for Lincoln, Martinez singled and Leveret walked to put runners on first and second with no one out. Smart singled to bring in Martinez, and two batters later Logan Vick drew a bases loaded walk to score Leveret. A Chad Bunting pinch-hit single scored Smart and Martin singled home Guida to extend the lead to 16-7.

In the top of the ninth the Saltdogs got another run when Hamilton singled to score Ziegler. That made the score 16-8, but it was clear that Lincoln was not battling their way back into this one.

Matt Larkins gave up 3 runs in 5 innings pitched, but only one was earned. It was his third win of the season against no loses. Varce (0-1) took the loss.

Heid and Martinez each had three hits for the Amarillo Thunderheads. Martinez scored three times and drove in two, while Heid scored twice and plated another. Four other Amarillo players had at least two hits. Lincoln got three hits each from Joynt and Canham.

Boxscore Provided by the American Association

By Robert Pannier