Just in time! Tarpons win rain-shortened affair against Mighty Mussels, 3-2.

TAMPA, Fla. – Tarp’s on, tarp’s off. Tarp’s on, tarp’s off.

The Tampa Tarpons (8-3) weathered the storm Thursday night and came through just in the nick of time to edge the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (2-7) at George M. Steinbrenner Field, 3-2. Both teams were scheduled to play a doubleheader but what initially was supposed to be two 7-inning games turned into one 6-inning game called due to inclement weather.

RHP Yon Castro (4.2IP, 3H, 2ER, 1HR, 2BB, 7K) took the mound for his 13th start of the season and was solid for the Tarpons through four plus innings. Castro’s lone blemish of the night came against Keoni Cavaco in the top of the second, when Cavaco blasted a no-doubt two-run homer way beyond the left field fence to put Fort Myers up, 2-0.

LHP Gerrit van Zijll (1-1) took over for Castro in the top of the fifth and was able to avoid any further damage to keep the game close. With two runners in scoring position and two out, van Zijll set down Dillon Tatum swinging to get out of the jam.

The rain began pouring onto the field as the Tarpons came up to bat in the bottom of the fifth. Tampa found themselves in business quickly, with 2B Ben Cowles working a four-pitch walk and C Ben Rice beaned in the side the next at-bat. With runners on first and second, LF Kyle Battle slapped an RBI-single the opposite way to plate a run. Cowles beat the throw to the plate and the Tarpons cut the deficit down to one run. SS Oswaldo Cabrera rolled into a fielder’s choice to second base to score Rice and tie the game. Lastly, 3B Marcos Cabrera hit a sacrifice fly to center field to bring in the go-ahead run and put the Tarpons up 3-2.

Both teams would go on to finish the top half of the sixth before the game was made official due to rain.

The Tarpons play host to the Mighty Mussels tomorrow afternoon for a rescheduled double-header. Game 1 will see RHP Juan Carela toe the rubber with first pitch scheduled at 4:00 PM EST. RHP Richard Fitts will make the start in Game 2, which will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 1.