D-Jays Fail to Score in Playoff Sweep

DUNEDIN, FL - After the Lakeland Flying Tigers won Tuesday night's game one pitchers duel 1-0, The Blue Jays sent Sean Nolan to the mound to start Game 2. Nolan entered the contest with nine wins and zero losses for Dunedin this year.

Like Tuesday, unfortunately, the game's first run was scored on a Lakeland solo homer, and it would ultimtaely be the game winning run as the Blue Jays season ended with a 3-0 defeat.

The Flying Tigers got on the board first when third baseman Wade Gaynor blasted a solo shot deep into the left field trees at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Lakelamd threatened again in the top of the third but Nolan escaped, unscathed, after allowing runners to reach first and third with nobody out. After three innings of play the D-Jays had just one hit, and were trailing by the familiar score of 1-0.

The Flying Tigers added a run in the top of the seventh when James Robbins singled in Wade Gaynor from second base; Robbins took second on the throw to the plate. Randy Boone came on to relieve Nolan and was able to hold the Flying Tigers to just the one run in the inning.

The Blue Jays came to bat in the bottom of the eighth, six outs away from their season being over, the Jays made some noise when second baseman Jon Berti singled up the middle, but a Marcus Knecht strikeout followed by a Lawrie groundout, left the Blue Jays with just three chances to extend their spectacular 2012 campaign.

Frank Gailey came in for the ninth inning; he was greeted by a Tyler Collins homerun to right field. The Flying Tigers took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth.

The Blue Jays sent the two, three, and four hitters in the ninth, looking to extend their season. JP Arencibia singled to center with one out but the rest of the inning belonged to the Flying Tigers.

Hard throwing right-hander ended the game by striking out Kevin Ahrens, and all that was left to do was for the Flying Tigers to celebrate.

The season ending loss was as sudden as it was devastating, and it brought the D-Jays all time playoff record to 11-31. The Flying Tigers await the winner of the Saint Lucie/Jupiter series and will compete in the best of five championship series beginning either Thursday or Friday.

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