Threshers Surge Past Flying Tigers for Fifth Straight Win

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Clearwater Threshers offense continued their hot stretch by using 15 hits to knock off the Lakeland Flying Tigers, 7-4 on Monday night at Spectrum Field. The victory pushed Clearwater's winning streak to five games, while pushing its record above .500 in the month of May to 6-5.

Lakeland (14-21) started with a 1-0 lead after one, but Clearwater (17-19) quickly erased the deficit with a run of the its own in the bottom half of the opening frame on an RBI double from Nick Maton.
Maton's double stretched the middle infielder's hitting streak to six games. The 22-year-old finished the contest with three knocks, and his hitting .517 with 15 hits since the streak began on May 4.
The Threshers offense continued to attack Lakeland starter Tom de Blok (0-3) in the second when Daniel Brito drove a double to right to score Edgar Cabral. Simon Muzziotti provided an insurance run with an RBI single to stretch the lead to 3-1.
The extra-base hit barrage would not spot there when Alec Bohm crushed a two-run shot to left in the fourth to push the Clearwater advantage to 5-1. The Philadelphia Phillies' top prospect (MLB.com) has smacked two home runs over his last two games, and has hit safely in five consecutive games while going 9-for-24 at the dish during that span.
Damon Jones (1-2) turned in another sharp outing for the Phillies affiliate. The southpaw allowed an unearned run on four hits through six frames, and matched a career-high with nine strikeouts in his first win of the year.
The Threshers backed up their starter with two more runs in the fifth. Colby Fitch and Edgar Cabral each drove in runs with RBI singles to push their lead over Lakeland 7-1.
Six different players in the Thresher lineup finished with RBI, and eight of the nine men in the lineup had at least one hit in the series opener.
The Flying Tigers were shut down until the ninth when they plated three runs off reliever Jonathan Hennigan. Grant Dyer (SV, 1) came in and helped finish off the game when Simon Muzziotti made a running catch at the wall in right-center. Muzziotti's catch earned Dyer the save to give Clearwater its fifth straight win.
The Threshers turned in their fourth straight multi-hit game with 15 hits in the win, and find themselves just three back of first place in the Florida State League North.
Lakeland and Clearwater continue their four-game series on Tuesday night at Spectrum Field. RHP Colton Eastman (0-1 2.08) gets the ball for the Threshers against Flying Tigers' RHP Jesus Rodriguez (1-3 4.50). First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. with coverage beginning 6:45 p.m. on threshersbaseball.com.
Tuesday night is another Dollar Tuesday at Spectrum Field. Berm tickets are just $1 and available walk-up at Spectrum Field. Fans can also enjoy $1 hot dogs, 16 oz. fountain sodas, 12 oz. domestic drafts, chips, peanuts, and more!