Tampa takes game two 6-4

PORT CHARLOTTE -- For the second consecutive night the Tampa Yankees found late runs against the Charlotte Stone Crabs bullpen to claim a 6-4 win in 11 innings on Tuesday.

Run-scoring singles by Tyler Austin and Kyle Roller in the top of the 11th off Charlotte righty George Jensen (2-4), giving the Yankees comeback wins in the two games of this four-game series. Austin finished the night 4-for-5 with three RBI's and two runs scored.

Victor Mateo settled down after a rough first inning to give his team a quality start. Austin's two-run single caused the Charlotte starter to throw 28 pitches in the opening frame, but Mateo went on to work 6-2/3 innings. He allowed just two runs - one earned - on six hits and a walk, and left in line for his fourth consecutive win.

Riccio Torrez answered that early Tampa score with a two-run homer in the second inning, his seventh of the season.

The Stone Crabs then took the lead in the fourth inning when Luke Bailey singled with the bases loaded to plate two runs and put Charlotte ahead 4-2.

T.J. Geith came on in relief of Mateo in the seventh inning and brought his 20 inning scoreless streak with him, a mark that spanned 12 appearances. Geith helped Mateo escape the seventh by recording the final out, but departed with two on and one out in the eighth in favor of Lenny Linsky.

Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka greeted Linsky with a double to left, scoring Austin and Roller to tie the game at 4-4. That ended Geith's scoreless streak at 20-2/3 innings, longest by a Charlotte reliever this season.

Linsky kept the score there in a tense moment when, with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth, he got Roller to pop out and end the threat.

Though Charlotte would load the bases on walks in the 10th inning against former Tampa Bay Rays farmhand Aaron Dott, the club was unable to capitalize. Dott (4-3) escaped that jam and worked a scoreless 11th inning for the win.

Charlotte will look to climb back into the series on Wednesday night, as they send FSL All-Star C.J. Riefenhauser to the mound. He will be opposed by Tampa lefty Nik Turley. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.