FSL1 Clearwater Threshers

Clearwater Nipped 9-8 by Tampa in Eleven

Published on May 5, 2013 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Clearwater Threshers News Release


TAMPA - The Clearwater Threshers came up just short in extra innings Saturday night, falling 9-8 to the Tampa Yankees in front of a paid crowd of 4,977 at Steinbrenner Field.

The Threshers (13-15) came from behind in the game, scoring five runs in the top of the eighth to tie it up before taking a one-run lead in the top of the 11th inning. However, Clearwater couldn't hold off Tampa (12-16) in the bottom of the inning, with the Yankees scratching two runs across to win the game in walk-off fashion.

Clearwater cracked the scoreboard first in the top of the fifth inning. Left fielder Cameron Perkins led off with a double to right field against Tampa starter Mikey O'Brien, and advanced to third on a fly out to right by designated hitter Harold Martinez. Catcher Bob Stumpo laced a single to left that plated Perkins, giving the Threshers a 1-0 lead. The advantage was short-lived, as Gary Sanchez hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth off Threshers starter Ethan Stewart to make it 2-1 Yankees. After Fu-Lin Kuo drew a walk, Anderson Feliz tripled him home for a third run. Dan Fiorito worked his own walk, and Francisco Arcia bounced a single through the right side to score Feliz, making it 4-1 in favor of the Yankees.

The Threshers trimmed the margin in the top of the sixth, as third baseman Maikel Franco slammed a solo homer to left off Tampa reliever John Brebbia to make it 4-2. The Yankees answered in the bottom of the sixth, though. Robert Refsnyder led off with a single to right against Threshers reliever Luis Paulino and stole second. Sanchez knocked a single through the left side, allowing Refsnyder to score and make it 5-2 Yankees. Tampa added two insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh, after loading the bases with no outs. Refsnyder and Sanchez drew back-to-back walks with the bases loaded and two outs, bringing in two more runs and running the advantage to 7-2 for Tampa.

Clearwater surged back into the game in the top of the eighth against Tampa reliever Zach Arneson. Right fielder Kelly Dugan drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a double by Franco. Arneson fired a wild pitch that let the runners move up a base each and scored Dugan from third. First baseman Chris Serritella singled through the right side, scoring Franco and cutting the lead to 7-4. Perkins bounced into a force-out at second, and Martinez struck out swinging to put a runner on first with two outs. Stumpo bounced a grounder to Fiorito that the shortstop muffed, allowing Perkins to reach second and Stumpo to make it to first safely. Pinch hitter Jose Mojica ripped a single up the middle that plated Perkins and advanced Stumpo to second. Second baseman Carlos Alonso drew a walk to load the bases, and center fielder Aaron Altherr came through with a double up the right field line to score Mojica and Stumpo, tying the game at 7-7. Dugan then grounded out to first to end the inning, with runners still on second and third.

Neither team scored the rest of the way in regulation, so the game went to extra innings. Perkins led off the top of the eleventh with a triple to left, and came home on a one-out single by Franco to give Clearwater the 8-7 lead. Threshers reliever Ryan O'Sullivan (2-2) got Feliz to line out leading off the bottom of the inning, but walked Fiorito and gave up a single to Arcia to put runners on the corners with one out. Jose Toussen lined a single up the middle to score Fiorito, tying the game at 8-8. Pinch hitter Ben Gamel drew a walk to load the bases for Mason Williams, who hit a liner to left-center field. Altherr made a great catch, but his throw to the plate couldn't catch Arcia, who scored the winning run on the sacrifice fly.

Stewart took a no-decision with four runs allowed on seven hits and seven walks over four innings, whiffing three. Paulino allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits over 2.1 innings against one strikeout. Mario Hollands faced two batters, retiring one and walking the other with one inherited runner scoring. Colton Murray pitched 2.1 innings with just one walk allowed while fanning three; he allowed an inherited runner to score. O'Sullivan took the loss, with two runs surrendered on three hits over 1.2 innings.

O'Brien's sterling start came to a no-decision, with one run allowed on four hits and a walk over five innings; he struck out seven. Brebbia gave up a run on three hits over two innings while striking out four. Arneson coughed up five runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks while recording two outs, one a strikeout. Joel De La Cruz (1-1) got the win, with one run allowed on four hits against two strikeouts in 3.1 innings.

The Threshers head out on a four-game road trip at the Palm Beach Cardinals on Sunday, with righty Gabriel Arias going for Clearwater against Palm Beach southpaw Ryan Sherriff. First pitch from Roger Dean Stadium is scheduled for 1:05 p.m., with Ben Gellman's pregame show going on air at 12:50 p.m. on ThreshersBaseball.com.

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