Numata Knocks Career-High 4 Hits in Loss

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Chace Numata delivered a career-high four hits on Friday, but Mike Gerber's grand slam helped lift the Lakeland Flying Tigers as Clearwater suffered an 11-4 loss in the series opener at Bright House Field.

The loss snapped a seven-game home winning streak at Bright House Field, and was the first time Clearwater (15-7) permitted more than five runs in any game since the home opener on April 8th.

Numata doubled twice, knocked home a run, and finished 4-for-4 to lead the offense on Friday. Clearwater's bats came alive in the ninth inning against Johan Belisario, after he and starter Tyler Alexander (1-3) had held the Threshers scoreless through the first eight frames.

Cord Sandberg walked to start the inning, the 11th-straight game in which Sandberg has reached safely.

With one down, Kyle Martin crushed a no-doubt blast well beyond the wall in right, breaking up the shutout with his fifth home run of the season. The two-run bomb upped his RBI total to 20, which leads the Florida State League.

Martin finished 2-for-4, and has reached base in 15 consecutive games.

Mitch Walding followed by shooting a triple through the left-centerfield gap, and Zach Green brought him in with a single. Numata later added a two-bagger to right-center to plate Green.

Ranfi Casimiro (3-1) held the Flying Tigers off the board through the first two innings before a leadoff walk to Grayson Greiner opened the third.

Ross Kivett and AJ Simcox both reached on one-out infield hits to load the bases, and Gerber got Lakeland (11-11) on the board with a single to left.

That run was the first surrendered by Casimiro since his first inning of the season on April 9. It snapped a streak of 17.1 consecutive scoreless innings by the Threshers right-hander.

Casimiro would ultimately permit four runs - three earned - on four hits and a season-high four walks in his four innings, collecting five strikeouts.

Michael Mariot joined the Threshers on a rehab assignment, and would be charged with six runs on six hits in 1.1 innings. The big blow came in the sixth, when Gerber unloaded a grand slam to open up a ten-run lead for Lakeland.

The teams will be back at it on Saturday, with first pitch set for 6:15 p.m. Lefty Elniery Garcia (2-0) takes the hill for the Threshers against Lakeland southpaw Jairo Labourt (1-0). The game can be heard live on the Threshers Broadcast Network beginning at 6 p.m.