Blue Jays battle for ninth inning tie, defeated on third walk-off of the week

Fort Myers, FL – Dunedin rallied to score three runs in the final two innings, but were ultimately walked-off for the third time this week, as Maddux Houghton delivered a pinch-hit, RBI double in the bottom of the ninth to deliver a 4-3 win for Fort Myers on Friday night at Hammond Stadium.

Offense came at a premium in the opening innings, as Jays starter Fernando Perez and Mighty Mussels starter Ty Langenberg dueled through four scoreless frames.

Fort Myers got on the board in wonky fashion in the bottom of the fifth. Following a leadoff single from Brandon Winokur and two-out walk to Issac Pena, Perez appeared to strand two runners on as Angel Del Rosario lined out to left fielder Victor Arias. However, the umpires waved off the play, signaled that Perez balked, and moved both runners up a base.

With runners on second and third, Del Rosario, the former D-Jay, cashed in on his mulligan with a two-RBI single that made it 2-0 Mussels.

Perez returned for the fifth and allowed a Rayne Doncon RBI single that chased him from the game and extended the Fort Myers lead to 3-0.

Langenberg finished six shutout frames, striking out seven in the process. Nolan Santos took over in the seventh inning and worked around a double from Manuel Beltre.

The eighth inning didn’t go as smooth. Maykel Minoso drew a lead off walk, but Santos struck out the next two batters. He wasn’t able to make it three straight, though, as Victor Arias ripped an RBI triple into the right center field gap to put the Jays on the board. The next batter, Yhoangel Aponte, sent a chopper to shortstop that forced a throwing error from Rayne Doncon, allowing Arias to score from third, shrinking the lead to 3-2.

After a 1-2-3 eighth from Irv Carter, Dunedin tied the game in the ninth. The frame opened with three consecutive four-pitch walks issued by Mussels closer Julio Bonilla. That forced Fort Myers to go back to the bullpen to bring Xander Hamilton into the game.

Hamilton induced a double-play ball off the bat of Minoso, which the Mussels turned successfully, but Tucker Toman scored from third to knot the game. That’s all the damage the Jays could muster, as pinch hitter Daniel Perez tapped out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the ninth, Poncho Ruiz worked a leadoff walk against Carter, prompting a Dunedin pitching change. Lefty Kai Peterson struck out Winokur, but then allowed the RBI double to Houghton – a ball hit over the Jays’ drawn in outfield – that ended the game.

Dunedin will seek revenge on Saturday night at 6:05. The Jays return home for a six game series with the Jupiter Hammerheads starting on Tuesday night at 6:35. Tickets are available now on DunedinBlueJays.com.