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Wilson Walks It Off for the Beach Dogs

Threshers OF Ethan Wilson runs the bases (Clearwater Threshers)
August 27, 2021

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Phillies’ second-round draft pick Ethan Wilson came up big for the Beach Dogs on Friday night with a three-run walk-off home run to defeat the Tampa Tarpons in nine innings. BOX After a rain shower changed the scheduled doubleheader into one nine-inning game, Griff McGarry got the

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Phillies’ second-round draft pick Ethan Wilson came up big for the Beach Dogs on Friday night with a three-run walk-off home run to defeat the Tampa Tarpons in nine innings.

BOX

After a rain shower changed the scheduled doubleheader into one nine-inning game, Griff McGarry got the nod for the Threshers’ alter ego. McGarry tossed 3.2 shutout innings, surrendered just one hit, walked two, and racked up nine strikeouts. Jared Wetherbee replaced the 2021 draftee and got the final out of the fourth inning.

The Beach Dogs were held hitless until the fifth inning when Luis Garcia stepped up to the plate and delivered his tenth home run of the season over the fence in left field for a 1-0 advantage.

MLB rehabber Vince Velasquez pitched the fifth and sixth innings for the Beach Dogs. Velasquez struck out three batters and gave up one hit in his two-inning relief appearance.

RHP Konnor Ash took the mound in the seventh. Ash walked the first batter he faced, but quickly erased the base runner but eliciting a 6-4-3 double play the next batter up. The final out of the inning was a line out into the glove of Johan Rojas.

The Tarpons made a splash in the eighth inning. Ben Rice walked to lead off the inning and Trey Sweeney singled to put two runners on with one out. Cooper Bowman then launched a three-run home run to left-center field to give the Tarpons a 3-1 lead.

The Beach Dogs knotted it up in the home half of the inning. Luis Garcia and Casey Martin drew consecutive walks and Ethan Wilson hit a line-drive single to load the bases. A run scored as Jared Carr drew a five-pitch walk and another crossed the plate courtesy of a Baron Radcliff line drive into left field for a 3-3 score.

Johan Rojas led off the bottom of the ninth inning for the Beach Dogs with a line-drive single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Martin drew his third walk of the night that put two runners on with one away and Wilson smashed a three-run moon shot over the right field fence to propel the Threshers to a 6-3 victory.

The Threshers and Tarpons will play two on Saturday night. Game one of the scheduled doubleheader is set to start at 4:00 p.m. with the gates opening at 3:30 p.m. Stick around until after the second game for a dazzling fireworks display presented by Clearwater Gas. TICKETS