Bats reheated as Threshers top Jupiter
A day after stranding 10 men on the bases, the Threshers lineup was much more efficient on Sunday afternoon at Bright House Field. Pete Lavin, Albert Cartwright, Cody Asche, Jim Murphy, and Carlos Alonso combined for 10 of the team's 11 hits, all of the RBIs, and all of the runs scored to lead the attack on offense.
Starting pitcher Adam Morgan took the hill in search of his second win of the season. Morgan was effectively wild throughout the course of his outing, not allowing a single hit to the Hammerheads, walking seven and striking out eight.
Facing Jupiter righty Alan Oaks, the Threshers got all the runs they needed in the bottom of the first. Lavin led it off with a double to left, moving to third on an infield single by Cartwright. After Asche's RBI groundout scored Lavin, Jim Murphy's single to right set the stage for a three-run homer to left by Alonso, his third of the season.
The score remained 4-0 until the top of the fifth, when the Hammerheads used a walk, an error by Morgan, a passed ball, and a sac fly to plate their first run of the game.
The Hammerheads did not record a hit until the top of the eighth inning, when Marcell Ozuna lined a single to left off Threshers reliever Hector Neris. The visitors would score two more runs in the frame, as Dallas Poulk and Taylor Krick collected RBI singles to make it 4-3.
Clearwater gained those two runs right back in the bottom of the eighth, as Asche doubled and scored on a double by Murphy to extend the lead to 5-3. Carlos Alonso then helped pad his team's lead by grounding a single up the middle, scoring Murphy to make it 6-3.
Alonso finished 3 for 4 with four RBIs on the day, raising his average to .360 on the year. Asche, Cartwright, and Murphy all finished with two hits apiece. Tyler Knigge nailed down his first save of the season by firing a scoreless top of the ninth.
The Threshers will hit the road Monday to take on the Fort Myers Miracle for four games, followed by three in Daytona versus the Cubs over the weekend. Their next home game will be versus the Tampa Yankees on May 29.
Shark Bites:
After going 3 for 4 today, Carlos Alonso is now 12 for 18 in his last five games... The Threshers entered play today with the highest staff ERA in the league at 4.39... The Threshers no-hit the Hammerheads through seven innings Sunday, but allowed nine total walks and committed two balks... Cody Asche's stolen base in the eighth inning Sunday was the team's only swiped bag during the six-game homestand.