Threshers Surge Back, Walk Off to Earn Doubleheader Split

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Down 8-0 early in game two on Tuesday, the Threshers fought their way back to upend the Palm Beach Cardinals, 11-10 to earn a doubleheader split at Spectrum Field.
Palm Beach (22-15) took the opener 2-1, and grabbed a commanding lead with eight runs in the first two innings of the nightcap. Clearwater (16-22) completed its largest comeback of the season, rally for five runs in the bottom of the seventh to walk off on a Darick Hall sacrifice fly.
The Threshers entered the bottom of the seventh down 10-6, but Mickey Moniak opened the frame with a single to left, and Edgar Cabral and Jose Pujols each walked to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate.
Following a strikeout, Jose Antequera worked a walk to push home Moniak, and bring the Threshers to within three.
The Cardinals called upon lefty Jacob Patterson (2-1), and on a 2-2 pitch, Arquimedes Gamboa lofted a triple to the right field corner to bring home all three baserunners and tie the ballgame at 10.
After Palm Beach elected to intentionally walk both Adam Haseley and Austin Listi to set up forces at all bases, Hall delivered a sacrifice fly to left that brought home Gamboa with the walk-off winner.
Will Hibbs (1-0) earned the victory with a scoreless seventh inning for Clearwater. Listi reached base in both ends of the twin bill, extending his on-base streak to 19 games.
Connor Seabold (0-3) took the loss in game one despite a solid outing. The right-hander permitted two runs on six hits and a walk across his six innings in the start.
Palm Beach grabbed the lead in game one in the third inning, when José Godoy lifted a solo homer to the bullpen in left to lift the Cardinals to a 1-0 edge.
Clearwater answered in the home half against starter Austin Warner (2-1). Luke Williams ripped a double to left-center, and with two down, Haseley brought him in with a line drive to left to tie the game at one.
The decisive run would come across in the next half inning, when Shane Billings doubled home Evan Mendoza with two outs to push the Cardinals to a 2-1 lead.
Clearwater would put the tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh, when Henri Lartigue and Pujols knocked back-to-back one-out singles, but reliever Austin Sexton induced a pair of strikeouts to end the ballgame.
Game three of the four-game set will take place on Wednesday morning, with a 10:30 a.m. first pitch on Education Day at Spectrum Field. The game will be broadcast live on threshersbaseball.com beginning at 10:15 a.m.