CLEARWATER, Fla. - Zach Coppola and Damek Tomscha combined for six hits on Friday night, but the Tampa Yankees hammered five home runs as the Threshers fell 11-5 in game two of the series at Spectrum Field.Clearwater (21-15) maintains a one-game lead in the FSL North.Coppola and Tomscha each finished
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Zach Coppola and Damek Tomscha combined for six hits on Friday night, but the Tampa Yankees hammered five home runs as the Threshers fell 11-5 in game two of the series at Spectrum Field.
Clearwater (21-15) maintains a one-game lead in the FSL North.
Coppola and Tomscha each finished 3-for-5, while Wilson Garcia extended his on-base streak to 15 games with an RBI single in the third.
The Yankees (16-20) rallied with two outs in the first against Blake Quinn (1-2), putting up a four-spot in the opening frame.
Tito Polo homered to left, and Chris Gittens followed with a walk. Trey Amburgey singled to center, and Nick Solak went opposite field for a three-run homer to make it 4-0 Tampa.
The Threshers cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the first. Coppola led off with a single to left, and Mark Laird pushed one through the left side, sending Coppola to third while Laird trailed into second on the throw.
Cornelius Randolph came through with a sacrifice fly to score Coppola, and Tomscha hit a high chopper short to bring home Laird and cut it to 4-2.
The Yankees added a run in the second on Jorge Mateo's first homer of the year, and Jhalen Jackson's RBI single in the third put Clearwater down 6-2.
With two outs in the third, Randolph drew a walk against Zack Littell (3-1), and Tomscha singled to left. Garcia pulled one through the right side to score Randolph and bring it to 6-3.
The teams traded tallies in the fourth as well, when Mateo lifted his second homer of the day in the top half, and Coppola's infield single to second scored Herlis Rodriguez in the home half to make it a 7-4 game.
Tampa pulled away late, adding a two-run home run from Trey Amburgey off Ranfi Casimiro in the seventh, and a pair of runs with two outs off Jacob Waguespack in the ninth.
Down 11-4, the Threshers mounted one last offensive wave in the ninth.
Emmanuel Marrero ripped a double to right-center off Dillon McNamara, and Coppola knocked a single to right for his third hit of the ballgame. Laird then dropped one into center to score Marrero, picking up his second RBI of the season.
The rubber game will take place on Motorcycle Night presented by Cycle Springs on Saturday, with first pitch at 6:15 p.m. Fans who ride a motorcycle to the game receive free parking and free admission. Seranthony Domínguez (3-0) takes the hill against Domingo Acevedo (0-3), and the game will be broadcast on threshersbaseball.com starting at 6 p.m.
