Walton’s Three RBIs Help Threshers Hold off Tortugas

WP: Brian Walters (5-2, BS (1), 4.46)

LP: Bryce Archie (5-3, 3.50)

SV: Marty Gair (6)

BOX SCORE

CLEARWATER, FL – After scoring the first six runs of the game, the Clearwater Threshers (55-39, 15-13) held off a late surge by the Daytona Tortugas (37-56, 16-11) to take an 8-7 victory at BayCare Ballpark on Saturday night. The Threshers return home looking for the series victory in Sunday’s series finale.

After the first out of the opening frame, Mark Kolozsvary reached on a throwing error by Daytona third baseman Anthuan Valencia that put him on second base. Griffin Burkholder beat out an infield single that moved Kolozsvary to third. Two pitches later, Nathan Humphreys hit a fly ball to shallow centerfield, and a sliding catch made by Kyle Henley allowed Kolozsvary to score from third and plate the Threshers’ first run. Daytona answered with two runs in the top of the second to take their first lead of the night.

Clearwater quickly answered in the home half of the second, beginning with leadoff walks to Matthew Ferrara and Nolan Beltran. Jonathan Hogart got the first hit of the frame with an RBI double, plating Ferrara from second to tie the game. Beltran had moved to third on the double, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Robert Phelps to give the Threshers back the lead. The rally extended into the third inning after Humphreys led off the frame with a walk before Juan Villavicencio drilled a two-run home run to right field, tripling the Threshers’ advantage to three runs. Two pitches later, Ferrara reached with a single off Tortugas’ starter Mason Morris. He stole second, and after Hogart drew a two-out walk, TJayy Walton doubled to left to clear the bases and plate both runners to make it 7-2.

Two runs in the fourth and fifth innings put the Tortugas within one run, bringing the score to 7-6 after the fifth. They tied the game on a balk in the top of the eighth to even the score at seven runs apiece. The first three Threshers to come to bat in the bottom of the eighth recorded a hit, with Beltran leading off with a single and Hogart advancing him to second on a base hit. On the next pitch, Walton blasted a single up the middle, scoring Beltran for the go-ahead run. Daytona got a baserunner on a one-out walk, but Marty Gair struck out the final two batters to seal an 8-7 win for the Threshers.

Zuher Yousuf surrendered four runs on six hits with five strikeouts in 4.0 innings of a no-decision. Jacob Pruitt gave up two runs on two hits and two walks in 1.0 inning. MT Morrissey walked two and struck out one in 1.0 scoreless and hitless inning. Brian Walters (5-2, BS, 1) let up a run for a blown save but earned the win in 2.0 innings of work with one run allowed on one hit, one walk, and three strikeouts. Marty Gair picked up the save with two strikeouts and one walk in a scoreless and hitless ninth inning.

Morrissey made his fifth relief appearance of July without allowing a run...Villavicencio leads the Threshers with 13 home runs on the season...Hogart recorded his first three-hit game since August of 2025...Walton drove in three runs for a season-high...Phelps has reached base safely in each of the first five games of this series...The Threshers will conclude a six-game home series against the Daytona Tortugas on Sunday, July 26...First pitch on Sunday afternoon will take place at 12:00 pm...You can purchase Threshers tickets at ThreshersBaseball.com/tickets or by calling 727-467-4457…The BayCare Ballpark Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 10 am – 5 pm...The box office will be open on Saturdays from 10 am - 3 pm...Visit our website at threshersbaseball.com for information on tickets and promotions for the Threshers season.