CLEARWATER, Fla. - Matt Vierling was on cruise control Saturday night, as the Notre Dame product set a career-mark with four RBI against the Daytona Tortugas in the Clearwater Threshers' 9-6 victory on Saturday night in front of a crowd of 6,094 at Spectrum Field. The win snaps a three-game
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Matt Vierling was on cruise control Saturday night, as the Notre Dame product set a career-mark with four RBI against the Daytona Tortugas in the Clearwater Threshers' 9-6 victory on Saturday night in front of a crowd of 6,094 at Spectrum Field. The win snaps a three-game skid for the Philadelphia Phillies affiliate, and forces a rubber match to close out the weekend set on Sunday afternoon.
Clearwater (12-17) struck early on Vierling's two-run shot into the bullpen in the first. The 22-year-old added a sacrifice fly in the third to extend the home team's lead to 3-0 after three.
Julian Garcia was not able to hang onto the lead on the mound, as the right-hander surrendered three runs in the fourth, and yielded two more tallies in the fifth to end the night for the 23-year-old in a 5-3 deficit.
The offense rallied for four runs in the bottom half of the frame to pull back ahead.
Simon Muzziotti started things out with an infield single to the right side, and advanced to third on Alec Bohm's double to the corner in right. Madison Stokes plated the first run of the inning on a ground out to second, pushing across Mizziotti and advancing Bohm to third.
Vierling delivered his fourth RBI of the game with a sharply hit single to center, scoring Bohm to tie the game at five apiece.
Two batters later, Jake Scheiner drove a two-run shot onto the berm in left to give the Threshers the 7-5 advantage.
Daytona (14-15) countered against Connor Brogdon (2-0) in the sixth with an RBI double from Jose Garcia, but Clearwater answered with a two-spot in their half of the frame with a sac fly from Muzziotti and a wild pitch from Dauri Moreta, plating Nick maton for the ninth run of the night for the Threshers.
Jonathan Hennigan (SV, 5) locked down his fifth save in as many chances with two scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
The Threshers' offense finished the game with 14 hits, with Muzziotti putting together his second consecutive three-hit performance against Daytona. Bohm, Stokes, Vierling and Jhailyn Ortiz all had two hits at the plate.
Clearwater takes aim at the series victory in the rubber match of the three-game weekend set against Daytona on Sunday afternoon at Spectrum Field. It has yet to be determined who will take the mound for the Threshers against the Tortugas' RHP Michael Byrne (1-1, 4.91). First pitch is schedule for 1:00 p.m., with coverage starting at 12:45 p.m. with Threshers Live! The Pregame Show on threshersbaseball.com.
Sunday Brunch returns in the finale against Daytona. From 12 p.m. - 2 p.m., fans can enjoy a buffet of eggs, breakfast meats, a carving station, potatoes, pastries, juice, coffee and tea. Drink specials and all ticket options are available on Sundays.
