Flying Tigers use six-run 7th inning to soar to 6-0 win over Tampa

For the second consecutive contest, the Lakeland Flying Tigers (12-5) used a big inning to take down the Tampa Tarpons (5-12), this time riding a six-run seventh frame to a 6-0 win on Wednesday night at Joker Marchant Stadium.
Both starters were excellent, with Lakeland’s Ben Jacobs hurling 5.0 shutout innings of two-hit ball while punching out three and walking none. Tampa’s Allen Facundo also went 5.0 shutout innings, allowing four hits and striking out eight.
All six runs in the contest came in the seventh inning, with the first five charged to reliever Jordarlin Mendoza and the last to Brian Arias. Anibal Salas led off the inning with a triple, Jesus Pinto walked and Thayron Liranzo was hit by a pitch. Jack Goodman laced a two-run single to give Lakeland a 2-0 lead. Javier Osorio scored Liranzo and Goodman on an RBI single. After Beau Ankeney was hit by a pitch, Sergio Tapia drove him in with a single and Osorio later scored on a throwing error from the Tarpons catcher, extending the home side’s lead to 6-0.
Luke Hoskins closed out the game with 2.0 hitless innings in his season debut while punching out three, resulting in a 6-0 Lakeland win.
Flying Tigers reliever Donye Evans (2-0) earned the win, throwing 1.1 perfect innings. Mendoza (0-2) took the loss, going 0.2 innings while allowing five runs and two hits.
First-place Lakeland faces off with Tampa in the third game of the series tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. Flying Tigers RHP Malachi Witherspoon (0-0, 5.19) squares off against RHP Tyler Boudreau (0-0, 2.89).