TAMPA, Fla. - Top pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez lit up the gun and delivered six strong innings on Sunday afternoon, but the Tampa Tarpons squeezed by Clearwater, 2-1 to take the series at George M. Steinbrenner Field.Sanchez dealt six innings - the second-longest start from a Thresher this year -
TAMPA, Fla. - Top pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez lit up the gun and delivered six strong innings on Sunday afternoon, but the Tampa Tarpons squeezed by Clearwater, 2-1 to take the series at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Sanchez dealt six innings - the second-longest start from a Thresher this year - and held the Tarpons (8-9) to just two runs on six hits. The 19-year-old righty walked just one and struck out five, hitting triple digits eight times.
Of Sanchez's 83 pitches, 63 were strikes (76%).
Austin Listi finished with three hits for the second straight day, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI to up his average to .383 in 12 games. Danny Mayer went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk in his second start for Clearwater.
The Tarpons jumped out to the early lead in the first, when Angel Aguilar singled, went to second on a balk, and scored with two outs on Brandon Wagner's base hit to center.
Clearwater (4-13) brought it even in the third.
Arquimedes Gamboa drew a one-out walk against starter Nick Green (3-0), and advanced to second on Green's errant pickoff move. Adam Haseley pulled a payoff pitch through the right side to put runners at the corners.
Listi then knocked a single through the left side on a 2-0 pitch, scoring Gamboa to tie the game at one.
The decisive run came two innings later, when Aguilar singled to left and Estevan Florial sent a soft liner to the left field corner for a triple, scoring Aguilar with the go-ahead run.
Jakob Hernandez hurled the final two innings out of the Threshers bullpen, striking out four and retiring all six batters he faced.
Clearwater will return home to Spectrum Field for a three-game series against the Fort Myers Miracle, beginning Monday at 7 p.m. Bailey Falter (1-0) will take the hill against Sean Poppin (0-1), and the game will be broadcast live on threshersbaseball.com beginning at 6:45 p.m.
