Kingery Homers in 11-4 Loss
May 29, 2016 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Clearwater Threshers News Release
LAKELAND, Fla. - Scott Kingery knocked his third home run of the season as the Threshers plated a pair of late runs on Sunday, but Clearwater could not overcome a large early deficit in an 11-4 loss to the Lakeland Flying Tigers in the series finale at Henley Field.
The Threshers (30-20) took the series after the winning the first two games at Lakeland. Mitch Walding, Derek Campbell, and Cord Sandberg all finished with two hits in the loss on Sunday.
After AJ Ladwig (7-3) tossed a perfect first, the Flying Tigers quickly gave him a lead to work with.
Ross Kivett walked to open the frame against Matt Imhof (4-3), and AJ Simcox reached on an error on the second baseman Campbell. Christin Stewart followed with a three-run home run off the light pole beyond the right field wall, his Florida State League-leading 15th long ball of the season.
Stewart already has more home runs than anyone in the league in all of 2015. Last year, Andrew Pullin and Dunedin's Matt Dean tied for the most with 14 homers apiece.
Lakeland (27-23) pulled away in the third.
Kivett opened the inning with his fifth home run of the season, and a pair of walks followed by a hit batsman loaded the bases.
Mike Gerber gave Lakeland a six-run lead, driving a double to right-center field to plate two runs and end the day for Imhof.
Alberto Tirado took over, making his season debut for the Threshers, and a passed ball permitted a fourth run to cross in the frame.
Down 7-0, Clearwater got on the board in the fourth. Kingery walked to lead off, and moved to second on a wild pitch. Carlos Tocci brought him in with a single to left to put the Threshers on the board.
Lakeland countered with two runs off Tirado in the bottom half to go up 9-1, before Malquin Canelo's sacrifice fly in the fifth scored Walding with the Threshers second run.
The Flying Tigers continued to tack on, plating a pair more against Joe DeNato in the six inning.
Kingery's homer came on an 0-1 pitch from reliever Slade Smith in the eighth, a high fly that cleared the wall in left for his third dinger of the season. The Threshers stung Smith for four hits in the ninth, including a Walding triple to right and a Campbell RBI single, before Smith got Canelo to fly out to right to end the ballgame.
After a league-wide off day for Memorial Day on Monday, the Threshers return home to play a two-game set with the Tampa Yankees beginning Tuesday at 7 p.m. Shane Watson (0-1) is scheduled to make his second start for the Threshers, opposed by Tampa lefty Josh Rogers. The game can be heard live on the Threshers Broadcast Network starting at 6:45 p.m.
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Florida State League Stories from May 29, 2016
- Sparks Continue to Fly in 8-4 Win - Daytona Tortugas
- Kingery Homers in 11-4 Loss - Clearwater Threshers
- Marauders Complete Sweep of Mets with 5-2 Win - St. Lucie Mets
- Marauders Sweep Mets - Bradenton Marauders
- Stone Crabs Complete Three Game Sweep of Miracle - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
- Flying Tigers Return Home Tuesday to Take on Manatees - Lakeland Flying Tigers
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