Threshers Win Nail-Biter at Lakeland, 3-2
May 28, 2016 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Clearwater Threshers News Release
LAKELAND, Fla. - The Clearwater Threshers fended off a pair of late threats on Saturday night, holding on to top the Lakeland Flying Tigers by a 3-2 final at Henley Field.
With the Threshers clinging to a one-run lead, Mike Gerber led off the bottom of the ninth by driving a double off the wall down the right-field line, and a wild pitch put the tying run 90 feet away with nobody out.
Ulises Joaquin stepped up in the clutch, striking out the side to strand that potential game-tying run at third and lock down the series victory for the Threshers.
Clearwater (30-19) earned its third-straight win behind another strong starting pitching performance, as Thomas Eshelman tied a season-high with seven innings of work.
The right-hander limited Lakeland (26-23) to just two runs on seven hits across his seven frames to earn the win. Eshelman (3-2) did not permit a walk and struck out six, throwing 65 of his 94 pitches for strikes.
The Threshers grabbed the game's first run off Jairo Labourt (4-3) in the third inning.
Carlos Tocci lifted his second double of the ballgame to right field with one down, and stole third base. Andrew Pullin then sent a soft grounder to shortstop that pushed home Tocci to make it 1-0 Clearwater.
Lakeland responded in the bottom half, when AJ Simcox came through with a two-out single up the middle to knot the game up at one.
An inning later, the Threshers regained the advantage for good. Mitch Walding worked a one-out walk, and with two down Malquin Canelo lined a sinlgle the opposite way into right to score Walding, and put the Threshers ahead 2-1. Samuel Hiciano followed by driving a double to the gap in right-center, bringing Canelo in for a 3-1 lead.
Wade Hinkle made it a one-run game in the fifth, lifting an opposite-field home run that just cleared the wall in left to cut the lead down to one.
The Flying Tigers would threaten in the eighth, as Ross Kivett drew a leadoff walk and went to second when Scott Kingery made a diving play on a grounder off the bat of Simcox for the first out.
Matt Hockenberry battled Christin Stewart, the FSL's home run leader, to a nine-pitch at-bat before inducing a swing and miss on an offspeed pitch for the second out. The right-hander then struck out Kade Scivique swinging to end the frame.
Joaquin came through in a huge spot for the Threshers in the ninth. With Gerber standing at third, Joaquin struck out Zach Shepherd, Joey Pancake, and Hinkle to end the ballgame and earn his second save.
Clearwater will go for the series sweep on Sunday, as the Threshers battle the Flying Tigers at 1 p.m. Matt Imhof (4-2) has the start against AJ Ladwig (6-3), and the game can be heard live on the Threshers Broadcast Network beginning at 12:45 p.m.
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