Comeback Stalls As Dunedin Falls In Extras

Trailing 7-6 in the tenth inning, the Dunedin Blue Jays loaded the bases with no outs but were unable to score, falling for the third straight game to the Florida Fire Frogs. With the loss, the Blue Jays are now 18-27 on the season, dropping them into last place in the North Division and last overall in the Florida State League.
After being held scoreless until the final inning in both games of last night's doubleheader, the first two Blue Jays batters in the first inning of tonight's game scored, giving Dunedin an early 2-0 lead. CF Joshua Palacios was hit by a pitch leading off the home half of the first inning. After Palacios stole second, rehabbing RF Randal Grichuk lofted a home run into the palm trees beyond the fence in right-centerfield at Dunedin Stadium.
The Fire Frogs responded in the second, scoring six times against Dunedin starter LHP Matthew Gunter. Florida batted around in the inning, knocking five, including two home runs. A walk and a Dunedin fielding error, their league-most 50th error of the season, extended the inning leading to a pair of unearned runs.
After the rocky second, Gunter settled in and only allowed one additional hit. He finished the evening with 4.2 innings pitched, his longest outing of the season, six runs allowed (four earned), one walk, and four strikeouts. LHP Juliandry Higuera came in in relief of Gunter in the fifth and tossed 3.0 hitless innings. Higuera walked four but allowed no runs.
The Blue Jays rallied to tie the score in the seventh. A walk to 3B Bradley Jones and a single by 1B Kacy Clemens put runners on the corners. A wild pitch brought home Jones and a double by LF Eduard Pinto plated Clemens. With two outs, Pinto stole third and scored on an errant throw by the catcher, cutting the score to 6-5 in favor of Florida. With the bases empty, 2B John La Prise doubled down the left field line. La Prise then stole third and scored to tie the game on a single by Palacios. Palacios swiped second but was stranded when D.J. Davis flew out to left to end the inning.
Higuera recorded the first two outs in the eighth but then hit a batter and walked one, leading the Blue Jays to turn the ball over to RHP Ty Tice. After a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, Tice recorded a strikeout to end the inning and the threat. 
Tice set down the Fire Frogs in order in the ninth on a pop out, strike out, and a ground out. 
C Riley Adams doubled to lead off the ninth. Pinto was intentionally walked to put two runners on with no outs. The Blue Jays were able to advance both runners into scoring position, but unable to bring either home.
The Fire Frogs opened the tenth inning with Christian Pache at second base as the pace-of-play runner. A sacrifice bunt moved him to third and a single by Kurt Hoekstra brought him home to put Florida up 7-6.
In the bottom of the tenth, the Blue Jays loaded the bases with no outs but were unable to bring home the tying run. Palacios began the inning at second as the pace-of-play runner. Davis and SS Logan Warmoth each walked to load the bases. With the tying run 90 feet away and the winning run at second, Florida reliever Devan Watts recorded a strike out, a pop out, and a ground out to end the game.
Tice took the loss, allowing one run (unearned) on one hit while striking out two over 2.1 innings. Joe Kennedy was credited with the win for the Fire Frogs, throwing 2.2 innings of relief and allowing one run. Watts earned the save, escaping the tenth inning jam to preseve the victory for the Florida.
The Blue Jays will take on Lakeland (21-21) tomorrow evening at 6:30 PM at Dunedin Stadium to begin a four-game series against the Flying Tigers. Dunedin's starter has not been announced while Lakeland will throw RHP Tom de Blok (2-3, 7.16 ERA).