Threshers Thrash Dunedin with 14 Hits in Victory 

WP: Micah Ottenbreit (1-0, 1.04)

LP: Juaron Watts-Brown (1-1, 5.79)

DUNEDIN, FL – Jordan Viars and Aidan Miller combined for seven hits as the Clearwater Threshers (7-4) cruised to a 10-1 victory over the Dunedin Blue Jays (8-3) on Wednesday afternoon at TD Ballpark. Clearwater looks to earn a share of first place when they return to Dunedin on Thursday evening.

With two outs in the third inning, Aidan Miller singled and reached second base on an errant pickoff attempt by Dunedin starter Juaron Watts-Brown. Jordan Viars hit a double off the wall in right-center to score Miller and open the scoring with a 1-0 Threshers lead.

Dakota Kotowski reached with a leadoff walk to start the fifth, moving to second when Trent Farquhar walked two batters later. Miller cleared the bases with a two-run double before the pitching change. Jordan Viars greeted newly entered Blue Jays reliever Yondrei Rojas with a two-run homer to right that bumped the Threshers lead to 5-0.

Avery Owusu-Asiedu walked and stole second base before Pierce Bennett drew a walk. Nikau Pouaka-Grego plated Owusu-Asiedu from second with a single to increase the Threshers lead. After a fielder's choice, Kotowski came up for the second time in the inning and hit a two-RBI single to center to bring the score to 8-0.

Miller led off the sixth with a single off Blue Jays reliever Jerry Huntzinger and moved to second on a wild pitch. Viars and Owusu-Asiedu both walked, and Miller scored on a double play to make it 9-0 Threshers.

After an out in the eighth, Miller singled off Blue Jays reliever Sebastian Espino before advancing to third on a base hit by Viars. Owusu-Asiedu singled to center to bring Miller in from third and the Threshers lead up to double-digits.

A leadoff triple and a wild pitch scored Dunedin’s first run in the bottom of the eighth, cutting the Threshers lead to 10-1. Both teams put runners in scoring position in the ninth, but the score remained at 10-5 as the Threshers took their first win over Dunedin in 2024.

Micah Ottenbreit (1-0) earned the win in 5.0 scoreless and hitless innings, striking out six and walking two. Jaydenn Estanista tossed 2.0 shutout frames, allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts. Paxton Thompson

The seven-run fifth was the most runs scored in an inning by the Threshers this season...Clearwater’s pitching staff took a combined no-hitter into the seventh inning...Pouaka-Grego (2) Miller (4) and Albrecht (3) each set career highs in hits...The Threshers’ 14 hits is the most in a game this season for the team...Miller became the second Thresher to reach four hits in a game in 2024...Both of Kotowski’s hits this season have drove in two runs...Caicuto has reached base safely in each of his first six games this season...The Threshers continue a six-game road series against the Dunedin Blue Jays on Thursday, April 18th with a 6:30 PM first pitch...You can purchase tickets for the Threshers season at ThreshersBaseball.com/tickets or by calling 727-467-4457…The Box Office at BayCare Ballpark is also open daily to purchase Threshers tickets…The hours are 10 AM-5 PM Monday through Friday and 10 AM-3 PM on Saturdays.