Lakeland's Late Lead Does in Daytona

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LAKELAND, FL - The Lakeland Flying Tigers ( 47-57, 17-21) scored three runs in the eighth inning to beat Daytona (42-65, 9-33), 4-2, Saturday night at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. It was Lakeland's ninth win in 10 games against Daytona this year.
The Tortugas scored their only runs on one swing of the bat in the first inning. Reydel Medina walloped his sixth home run of the year with two outs in the first inning and a man on base for the early lead. Daytona would manage just two baserunners the rest of the game.
Lakeland would get on the board against Daytona's bullpen in the sixth inning. Mike Gerber, on rehab, tripled against LHP Juan Martinez with one out in the frame and scored on a Blaise Salter ground out for Lakeland's first run of the night. Martinez would settle down and retire the next six batters he faced.
However, he appeared to have run out of gas in the eighth inning, his third frame of relief. After a one out, Sergio Alcántara hit a single to left field that Daniel Sweet misplayed into a game-tying RBI triple. A Salter infield single, two batters later, would give Lakeland their first lead of the night. Will Allen would double the lead later in the stanza with an RBI single to center.
Down to their final out in the ninth, Medina singled to right field to continue the game. Sweet, attempting to atone for his previous miscue, flied out to the warning track in right field for the final out of the game. The Tortugas fell feet short of a game tying home run.
Daytona will send LHP Ty Boyles (4-4, 4.17) to the mound in Sunday's finale with their eyes on a series split. First pitch is scheduled for 1 PM, with coverage beginning at 12:50 PM on AM 1230 and AM 1490 WSBB with The Metcare Pregame Show.