Fifth Inning Dooms Threshers In 9-5 Loss to Hammerheads

BOX SCORE

JUPITER, Fl - The Clearwater Threshers couldn't overcome a four-run fifth inning by the Jupiter Hammerheads in a 9-5 loss in game three of the six-game series on Thursday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

Left-hander Jordi Martinez made his fourth start of the season for Clearwater, allowing six runs, five earned on eight hits and striking out six in five innings of work.

The Hammerheads (23-19) opened the scoring in the third inning on an RBI double by Angeudis Santos to make it 2-0, before adding four more in the fifth on RBI singles from Jose Salas and Santos to push the lead to a commanding 6-0.

Trailing 6-0 in the seventh, the Threshers (22-19) got a bases loaded walk from Jamari Baylor to scratch across their first run, but the Hammerheads responded with three runs in the home half off Clearwater lefty Gabriel Yanez to burst the game open.

Following an RBI sac-fly by Micah Yonamine in the eighth, the Threshers pushed home three more runs in the ninth on an RBI groundout from Marcus Lee Sang as well as RBI hits by Hao Yu Lee and Anthony Quirion to trim the deficit to 9-5, but Clearwater couldn't inch any closer.

The series resumes on Friday night as the Threshers battle the Hammerheads in game four of the six-game set at 6:30 p.m. Right-hander Jean Cabrera is scheduled to start for the Threshers, with coverage on the Threshers Broadcasting Network set for 6:20 p.m.