Flying Tigers hold on for extra-innings win over Tarpons, 5-4

TAMPA, Fla. - The Lakeland Flying Tigers (12-6) took down the Tampa Tarpons (4-14) in a twelve-inning battle Thursday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Both teams were scoreless through the first two extra innings, and then in the twelfth, Lakeland put up a three-spot, capped off by a two-run homer from Jose De La Cruz. The Tarpons battled back for two runs in the bottom half of the inning and had the winning run on base but were unable to capitalize. The Tarpons could not take advantage of scoring opportunities, leaving 17 men on base while going 6-for-24 with runners in scoring position.

RHP Cade Smith (6.0IP, 3H, 2ER, 1BB, 7K) tossed six dazzling innings, allowing two runs in his outing. Smith took a no-hitter into the sixth until it was broken up by a single from John Peck. Smith relied on two pitches: his fastball and slider. The slider was the swing-and-miss pitch, recording a whiff rate of 43%. Smith struck out the side in the fourth on his way to a season-high seven strikeouts.

Tampa’s bullpen was sharp, allowing just two earned runs over six innings of relief. RHP Cade Austin (0-1) pitched a scoreless tenth and eleventh in extras, despite the ghost runner starting on second base. Austin limited hard hits, as his average exit velocity was just 84.0 MPH.

RF Daury Arias opened the bottom of the fourth, smacking a double off the top of the center field wall. 2B Brenny Escanio laced a 101.8 MPH single to right field. On the single, Arias rounded third, trying to score, but De La Cruz threw a laser to nab Arias at home plate. Escanio advanced to second on the throw, and then DH Enmanuel Tejeda was plunked by a sinker. 3B Dylan Jasso put Tampa on the board first, smoking a double to the left field corner, bringing home Escanio. 1B Coby Morales walked to load the bases, and a wild pitch plated Tejeda to extend the lead to two.

Peck picked up Lakeland’s first hit of the night in the sixth, a triple over the head of Arias in right. With Tampa’s infield drawn in, Samuel Gil lined a single to right, cutting the deficit to one. A wild pitch and a groundout moved Gil to third base. Josue Briceño came up clutch for the Flying Tigers, hitting a game-tying double into the left-center field gap.

After being blanked through the first two extra innings, Lakeland broke up the tie in the twelfth. Briceño started on second as the ghost runner, and Campbell drove him in with a double off the right field chalk. De La Cruz extended the lead by blasting a 374-foot two-run homer to left field.

Tampa fought back in the bottom of the twelfth. With Jasso starting at second, Morales and CF Willy Montero hit back-to-back singles, cutting the deficit to two and putting runners at the corners. Montero swiped second base to put the tying run in scoring position, and then C Manuel Palencia walked to put the winning run on first. Arias hit a SAC-fly to center field, bringing Tampa within one and putting the game in the hands of Escanio. Escanio was unable to complete the comeback for Tampa, striking out to end the game.

The Tarpons will be back at it tomorrow at GMS Field against the Flying Tigers. LHP Allen Facundo is projected to start on the bump with the goal of getting Tampa back on track.