Sensley Homers Twice, But Tarpons Drop Finale
July 29, 2019 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Tampa Tarpons News Release
Steven Sensley celebrates one of his two homers for the Tampa Tarpons
(Tampa Tarpons, Credit: Mark LoMoglio)
TAMPA, Fla.- A pair of solo blasts by Steven Sensley was not enough as the Tampa Tarpons dropped the series-finale to the Jupiter Hammerheads, 5-2, on Sunday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Tampa (19-20, 47-58) won the series, taking three-of-four games.
Jupiter (18-22, 39-64) scored in the first inning off RHP Clarke Schmidt, with Victor Victor Mesa lining a leadoff single before scoring on a two-run homer by Jerar Encarnacion. It was Encarnación's 14thhome run and fourth since joining the Hammerheads.
Harrison Dinicola lined a one-out double in the second and took third on a bobble in right field by Omar Carrizales before scoring on a base hit bounced into left by Micah Brown, giving Jupiter a 3-0 lead.
Schmidt (L, 3-4) held the Hammerheads scoreless for the remainder of his six innings, yielding three earned runs on eight hits and a hit-batter in his second quality start of the season. The 23-year-old tallied five strikeouts without permitting a walk, throwing 93 pitches (62 strikes).
The Tarpons grounded into a double-play in each of the first two innings before LHP Braxton Garrett stranded a two-out walk in the third. Sensley hit the first of his two homers with two outs in the fourth, lining a 1-2 pitch over the wall in right-center for his eighth of the year.
Back-to-back one-out singles by Kyle Gray and Jason Lopez brought the go-ahead run up in the fifth, but Garrett struck out Carrizales before getting Pablo Olivares to fly out to the warning track in left, ending the threat.
Garrett (W, 5-4) allowed one earned run on five hits in five innings, walking one while striking out five on 73 pitches (48 strikes).
RHP Tyler Jones relieved Garrett in the sixth and struck out the first two batters he faced before Sensley smashed a 1-0 pitch on top of the Outfield Bar in right for his second homer of the game and ninth of the season, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
Jupiter got a run back off RHP Daniel Bies in the seventh when Brown walked, took second on a sacrifice bunt by Mesa and scored on a base hit by JJ Bleday. Demetrius Sims greeted LHP Anderson Severino with a leadoff single in the eighth and scored on a double to right by James Nelson, restoring a three-run lead for the Hammerheads.
Jones (H, 1) tallied two more strikeouts in a perfect seventh, and LHP Sean Guenther (H, 2) followed with a 1-2-3 eighth before RHP Colton Hock entered for the save opportunity.
Sensley and Diego Castillo lined back-to-back one-out singles to bring the tying run up in the bottom of the ninth, but Hock (SV, 3) struck out Wilkerman Garcia and Gray to end the game.
Sensley (3-for-4, 2HR, 2RBI, 2R) logged his second three-hit game of the home stand. Castillo (2-for-4) tallied his 16thmulti-hit game of the season. Olivares (1-for-4) extended his hitting streak to seven games, batting .435 (10-for-23) in that span.
Following a league-wide off day on Monday, the home stand continues on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. when Tampa opens a three-game series vs. Lakeland. RHP Miguel Yajure (6-6, 2.20) is slated to start the opener for Tampa, with the Flying Tigers' starter TBA. Live play-by-play of the action will be available on the Tampa Tarpons Baseball Network.
On "2-for-1 Tuesday," fans can get buy-one, get-one free deals on lower reserved tickets, hot dogs, burgers, fries and nachos from 5:30-7:30 p.m. (2-for-1 tickets may only be purchased from the George M. Steinbrenner Field Box Office.
Images from this story
 Tampa Tarpons pitcher Clarke Schmidt (Mark LoMoglio) |
 Steven Sensley rounds the bases for the Tampa Tarpons (Mark LoMoglio) |
 Steven Sensley celebrates one of his two homers for the Tampa Tarpons (Mark LoMoglio) |
Florida State League Stories from July 29, 2019
- Clearwater Comes to the Pond Tuesday-Thursday - Florida Fire Frogs
- Sensley Homers Twice, But Tarpons Drop Finale - Tampa Tarpons
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
