Tampa & Daytona Split Double Header

Tampa, Fla. - The Tampa Yankees (32-26) started a four-game in two days series with the Daytona Cubs (24-22) tonight. Today was the first double header and the T-Yanks took game one 11-5, while Daytona took game two 4-3.

The first game picked up where it left off in Daytona on August 19th in the top of the second inning. Tampa put Pedro Feliciano (0-0) on the mound who was on a rehab assignment, and Daytona started Matt Loosen (10-5, 4.18 ERA).

Tampa got things going in the top of the second when they had the bases loaded. Ramon Flores singled to drive in two and leave Jose Toussen on third. Ramon Flores stole second and Toussen stole home on the same pitch and the T-Yanks took a 3-1 lead. The Cubs added to their runs in the bottom of the second with four singles to score two and tie the game.

In the top of the third, Tampa had runners on second and third and a Zach Wilson grounder put Tampa back on top, 4-3. In the fourth, Tampa re-loaded the bases with one out. Tyler Austin hit a ground-rule double and scored two, forcing Daytona to make a call to the bullpen. With one out on the board, Gary Sanchez stepped to the plate and tripled in two more. Wilson followed with a ground-rule double, and Kelvin De Leon singled to give Tampa a commanding 10-3 lead.

Flores hit his sixth homer in the top of the fifth to add an extra run to Tampa's count. Daytona scored two more runs in the game, but Tampa took the win 11-5.

Game two went to the visitors 4-3. Nik Turley (8-5, 3.05 ERA) took to the mound for Tampa against Daytona's Kyle Hendricks (1-0, 3.46 ERA).

Tampa got on the board in the bottom of the first, when the team had Flores on third and Slade Heathcott on second. Austin and Roller hit back-to-back grounders to drive home the runs for a 2-0 lead.

The Cubs took over the lead in the top of the fifth. With runners on first and second, Elieser Bonne hit a homerun to left and Daytona was up 3-2. In the top of the sixth, Christian Villanueva led off with a solo homerun and put the Cubs up 4-2. Tampa was only able to get one more run home in the bottom of the sixth and game two ended with Daytona winning 4-3.

The two teams play in another double header match-up Saturday, August 25th starting at 5:00pm. It's Fan Appreciation sponsored by Wells Fargo and the gates will open at 4:00pm. The first 600 fans through the gate will receive a Tampa Yankees Robinson Cano Bobble Head. There will be giveaway throughout the night and a post-game fireworks show.