Flying Tigers soar past Tarpons for blowout win

TAMPA, Fla. - The Lakeland Flying Tigers (11-6) outslugged the Tampa Tarpons (4-13) Wednesday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field, 14-5. The Flying Tigers had three batters record three-hit nights, while Jim Jarvis provided the most damage, tallying four RBI.

After a nine-strikeout performance last week in Port St. Lucie, RHP Luis Serna (2.2IP, 7H, 8ER, 4BB, 2K) returned to the mound at GMS and did not have the electric stuff that he had against the Mets. Serna struggled to find the zone, throwing only 38 of his 80 pitches for strikes.

Lakeland wasted no time getting on the board in the first. Kevin McGonigle opened the game with a double, and Max Clark pounded a middle-middle sinker to center field to give the Flying Tigers the early lead. Josue Briceño walked, and Eduardo Valencia doubled down the left field line to tack on another run. After consecutive strikeouts, Jarvis singled to center field, bringing home two more runs and extending the first-inning lead to four.

RF Oscar Gonzalez, who is on a rehab assignment recovering from a right orbital fracture, picked up the first hit of his rehab assignment in the first. Gonzalez lifted a solo home run over the wall in right. After the solo shot, Tampa loaded the bases with singles from 3B Enmanuel Tejeda, 2B Roderick Arias, and a walk from 1B Coby Morales. The Tarpons could not capitalize, as a 6-4-3 double play ended the inning.

Brett Callahan walked with one out in the third. After swiping second base, Callahan came around to score on a Jose De La Cruz single. Jarvis bounced a ground-rule double over the wall in right-center to put runners on second and third. Then, Cristian Santana walked to load the bases, and a fielder’s choice plated Lakeland’s sixth run. RHP Yoljeldriz Diaz relieved Serna with runners on the corners, and McGonigle picked up his third hit of the night, bringing in the third run of the frame. With David Smith on third base, Diaz uncorked a wild pitch, which brought home the Flying Tigers’ eighth run of the night.

Lakeland started the fourth with back-to-back walks, and a single by De La Cruz loaded the bases with no outs for Jarvis. He drove in two runs with a double down the right field line, putting Lakeland into double digits. Santana drove in his sixth RBI of the season with a SAC fly, and then Smith unloaded on a hanging changeup, sending it 422 feet over the wall in right to give Lakeland a twelve-run lead.

Tampa was able to gain some offensive traction in the later innings, although not enough to complete a comeback. C Manuel Palencia ripped two RBI doubles, one coming in the sixth inning and the other in the eighth. Also in the eighth, CF Willy Montero doubled for the second time of the night to drive in a run. In the ninth, Tampa scored one more run on an RBI single to center field from Morales.

The Tarpons will be back at it tomorrow against the Flying Tigers at GMS Field. RHP Cade Smith is projected to start on the mound, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.