TAMPA, Fla. -- Ben Ruta delivered a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth, but the Tampa Tarpons (1-1, 36-36) left the bases loaded in the 11th and lost, 5-4, to the Jupiter Hammerheads (1-1, 42-29) on Friday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.RHP Nick Green worked around
TAMPA, Fla. -- Ben Ruta delivered a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth, but the Tampa Tarpons (1-1, 36-36) left the bases loaded in the 11th and lost, 5-4, to the Jupiter Hammerheads (1-1, 42-29) on Friday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
RHP Nick Green worked around four base runners while keeping the Hammerheads scoreless through the first five innings and struck out the first two batters of the sixth before Jupiter rallied for three runs.
Back-to-back singles by Riley Mahan and Roy Morales, along with a walk by Aaron Knapp, loaded the bases with two outs. Mahan scored on a wild pitch and both Morales and Knapp crossed the plate when Bubba Hollins reached on a two-base throwing error by third baseman Angel Aguilar .
RHP Brian Trieglaff entered and got Luis Pintor to groundout to end the sixth. Trieglaff would retire all seven batters he faced in two and a third perfect innings, striking out a pair.
Green allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits in five and two-third innings, walking three while striking out six. The 23-year-old threw 55 of 99 pitches for strikes, including a hit-batter and two wild pitches.
Tampa failed to score against former Yankees farmhand Josh Roeder until Kyle Holder clobbered a leadoff homer in the bottom of the sixth. It was Holder's first of the year.
Roeder retired the next three batters, completing a quality start. The right-hander held the Tarpons to one earned run on four hits in six innings, walking two while striking out four and threw 54 of 78 pitches for strikes.
Donny Sands singled and Ben Ruta walked, putting the tying runs on base with one out in the seventh against RHP Jorgan Cavanerio (H, 1). One out later, Cesar Diaz reached on an infield single, loading the bases. A walk by Holder pushed home Sands, but LHP Scott Squier entered and got a pop out by Diego Castillo to limit the damage.
After Tampa failed to score of Squier (H, 1) in the eighth, RHP Matt Wivinis relieved Trieglaff and fired a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth.
RHP Marcus Crescentini (BS, 1) took over in the ninth and, after a strikeout by Sands, Ruta blasted his fifth homer over the wall in right-center, tying the game at 3-3. After walking Aguilar, Crescentini got Diaz and Holder to fly out, preserving the tie.
The new extra-inning rules came into play and Luis Pintor (the final out of the ninth) began the 10th at second base. A wild pitch by Wivinis allowed Pintor to take third and Anfernee Seymour delivered an RBI single, giving the Hammerheads a 4-3 lead. Wivinis struck out the next two batters to keep it a one-run game.
Holder started at second base in the bottom of the 10th and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Castillo. Brandon Wagner followed with a game-tying single into center off RHP Chad Smith (BS, 1). After walking Dom Thompson-Williams , Smith got a fly out by Hoy Jun Park and a groundout by Sands to send the game to the 11th.
RHP Andrew Schwaab relieved Wivinis and, with James Nelson at second base, dove after a bunt by Mahan. The ball fell and Mahan reached, with Nelson at third. With the infield in, Morales grounded a ball to shortstop. Nelson scored as Holder threw high to the plate, allowing Mahan to take third.
A walk by Knapp loaded the bases and Hollins grounded into a 6-2-3 double play. Pintor reloaded the bases by reaching on a hit-by-pitch, but Schwaab struck out Zach Sullivan to escape.
Sands started the bottom of the 11th at second base, but Smith (W, 2-0) stuck out Ruta and Aguilar for two quick outs. An infield single by Diaz and a walk by Holder loaded the bases, but Smith struck out Castillo to end the game.
Sands (3-for-5, R) and Diaz (3-for-5) each logged their first multi-hit games of the season. Holder (1-for-4, HR, 2BB, 2RBI, 2R) and Wagner (1-for-3, 2BB, RBI) also reached base three times.
The series continues with a Saturday matinee set for 12:00 p.m. RHP Garrett Whitlock (2-1, 2.35 ERA) will make the start against RHP Jorge Guzman (0-3, 2.44). Live play-by-play audio will be available on the Tarpons Radio Network.
On "Salute to Service Members Saturday," all military receive a FREE upper reserved ticket with valid I.D. Also, select Tarpons players will be signing autographs on the concourse from 11:10-11:30 a.m.
