Calderon throws no-hitter, Tarpons sweep doubleheader

TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Tarpons (20-21) took care of business Wednesday afternoon, sweeping their double header against the Lakeland Flying Tigers (17-24) at George M. Steinbrenner Field. The Tarpons scored seven runs in the sixth inning to capture game one, 7-0. While the pitching was superb in game one, RHP Yorlin Calderon completely stole the show in game two – throwing a complete game no-hitter en route to a 4-0 victory. Tampa pitching held Lakeland to just one hit over the course of both games as the Tarpons increased their current winning streak to six games.

GAME 1

Game one of Wednesday’s double header was nothing short of a pitching clinic as both starters came boasting their best stuff. RHP Yon Castro (1-2) drew the early game start and secured his first victory of the season. Castro put together a fantastic performance – striking out nine batters over six scoreless innings. The Flying Tigers were only able to muster one hit against the young righty.

Lakeland starter Wilkil Hernandez was equally stellar on the mound, surrendering just two hits over four innings of work. Like Castro, Hernandez finished the day with nine strikeouts.

The action heated up in the sixth after Castro awarded back-to-back free passes to Alvaro Gonzalez and Austin Schultz. Carlos Mendoza was unable to get the bunt down to move the runners over, instead popping up to 3B Marcos Cabrera. Manuel Sequera flied out to left, which moved Gonzalez to third. Izaac Pacheco stepped up to the plate with the hopes of driving in the first run of the game, but Castro had other plans. On a full count, Pacheco took a hearty swing at Castro’s offering and came up empty.

The Tarpons saved a full game’s worth of production for the bottom half of the sixth. CF Alan Mejia drew a lead-off walk after replacing Jasson Dominguez who left the game with an injury. C Antonio Gomez ripped a single into left field, and suddenly the Tarpons were cooking with gas. 1B Anthony Garcia dug into the box and broke the game open by driving Wilmer Fenelon’s 0-1 pitch over the left field fence for a 3-run shot.

The Tarpons were not finished there.

Cabrera walked on a full count following Garcia’s round trip and swiped second base for his team leading 10th steal of the season. LF Grant Richardson smacked an RBI single to right field which scored Cabrera easily. RF Kyle Battle also got involved, smoking a line drive double to left. With two runners in scoring position, 3B Roberto Chirinos chopped the ball back to Fenelon on the mound. Fenelon intended on cutting Richardson down at the plate, but his throw went wide left of the catcher which allowed Battle to score as well. Mejia grounded into a fielder’s choice which scored another run, and the Tarpons went into the final frame ahead 7-0.

RHP Zach Messinger was called in relief of Castro in the top of the seventh – providing Tampa with three strikeouts to secure the game one victory.

GAME 2

After watching the brilliant pitching in game one, who would have thought that the best pitching performance of the night was still yet to come?

RHP Yorlin Calderon (1-0) was handed the ball to start game two just hours after being assigned to Tampa from the FCL Yankees. Calderon made one heckuva first impression, tossing a complete game no-hitter in seven innings. The 20-year-old right hander was masterful on the mound, ringing up seven Flying Tigers and allowing just two base runners via the walk.

Offensively speaking, the Tarpons plated the first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning. Richardson led off the inning with a full count free pass, followed by a single to left from C Ben Rice. With runners on the corners, 1B Connor Cannon hit a sacrifice fly to left field to put the Tarpons in front, 1-0.

Tampa struck again in the third inning as 2B Ben Cowles laced an RBI single into left field. The base knock scored SS Alexander Vargas, who previously doubled on a line-drive to right.

Fast forward to the bottom of the sixth, where the Tarpons were able to tack on a couple more insurance runs thanks to some self-inflicted Lakeland mishaps. Rice reached on a fielding error by Sequera at shortstop and came around to score on a throwing error by Sequera. Lastly, LF Raimfer Salinas grounded into a routine out but hit the ball hard enough to allow Cannon to cross the plate.

With a 4-0 lead, Calderon walked back out on the field for the top of the seventh – only three outs away from a no-hitter. He induced back-to-back ground ball outs and struck out Roberto Campos to end the game. Calderon threw his glove in the air in celebration while his teammates ran out on the field to douse him in Gatorade.

It was an impressive all around showing from the Tarpons, who are back in action tomorrow against the Lakeland Flying Tigers for game four of their seven game set. RHP Juan Carela (2-0, 2.43 ERA) is slotted to start tomorrow afternoon at GMS Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 PM EST.