Tarpons Tally Season-High 13 Hits; Defeat Threshers, 6-3

TAMPA, Fla. - All nine starters had at least one hit as the Tampa Tarpons (9-12) collected a season-high 13 hits in a 6-3 win over the Clearwater Threshers (8-13) in the opener of a four-game series on Thursday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Isiah Gilliam lined a leadoff single in the second and moved to third on a hit-and-run knock by Steven Sensley before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Jason Lopez , giving Tampa a 1-0 lead.
RHP Glenn Otto started for Tampa and struggled with command, allowing two walks and a hit-batter in the first inning. Otto escaped the jam by striking out Matt Vierling to leave the bases loaded.
After working around a hit and a walk in the second, Otto struck out two batters in a perfect third. The Texas native then survived two walks and a single in the fourth, thanks in part to Lopez catching Vierling trying to steal second.
Dalton Guthrie and Jhailyn Ortiz both singled to open the fifth. Otto fell to the ground following his pitch to Ortiz and was helped off the field. RHP Greg Weissert entered in relief and walked two-straight batters, forcing home Guthrie. Rodolfo Duran followed with a two-run single, giving Clearwater a 3-1 lead. Weissert sat down the next three hitters to end frame.
Tampa answered by rallying for four runs in the home-half, started by Tyler Hill reaching on a fielding error by Guthrie at third. Pablo Olivares followed with a single to left, and both runners scored when Diego Castillo blasted a double over Vierling's head in left field.
Castillo advanced to third on a throw to the plate and scored on a sacrifice fly by Oswaldo Cabrera . Gilliam kept the inning going with a double to left and promptly stole third before scoring on a wild pitch, giving the Tarpons a 5-3 lead.
RHP Alejandro Requena (L, 1-1) tied a career-high by allowing 11 hits while yielding five runs (four earned) in five innings. The 22-year-old struck out three and walked none while throwing 52 of 72 pitches for strikes.
Weissert (W, 2-0) retired eight of the final 10 batters he faced over three innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits while walking three and striking out a pair. The 24-year-old threw a season-high 64 pitches (34 strikes).
Hill clobbered a 3-0 pitch for a home run over the left field wall off RHP Austin Ross with one out in the sixth, adding insurance to Tampa's lead. It was Hill's second home run of the year.
RHP Kyle Zurak (SV, 3) worked around a leadoff walk in the eighth and stranded a hit and a walk in the ninth to close out the game.
Otto issued a career-high five walks while allowing two runs on four hits in four innings, striking out five while throwing 40 of 81 pitches for strikes in a no-decision.
Gilliam (2-for-3, 2B, BB, 2R, SB) logged his fourth-straight multi-hit game, raising his batting average to .388 (26-for-67) - second in the Florida State League. Olivares (2-for-5, R), Cabrera (2-for-3, Sac-F, RBI) and Sensley (2-for-3, BB) also had multi-hit games.
Castillo (1-for-4, 2B, 2RBI, R) is batting .341 (14-for-41) during an 11-game hitting streak.
RHP Miguel Yajure (1-2, 4.80) will face LHP Kyle Young (0-3, 5.40) when the series continues on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Live play-by-play of the action will be available on the Tampa Tarpons Baseball Network. On Sink-or-Swim Friday, fans can enjoy all-you-can-drink Bud, Bud Light and Select Liquors for $20 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.