Six-Run 8th Powers Tarpons over Cardinals, 8-5
Published on July 28, 2018 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Tampa Tarpons News Release
Steven Sensley of the Tampa Tarpons slides home vs. the Palm Beach Cardinals
(Tampa Tarpons, Credit: Mark LoMoglio)
TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Tarpons scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth and held on in the ninth to beat the Palm Beach Cardinals, 8-5, on Saturday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
The Tarpons tallied 12 base hits, giving them double-digit hits in seven of their last 10 games. In that span, Tampa (18-17, 53-52) is batting .305 as a club while scoring nearly seven runs per game.
RHP Nick Nelson made the start and retired the side in order in the first before Palm Beach (16-19, 55-44) opened the scoring in the second.
Brian O'Keefe lined a first-pitch double down the left field line and later advanced on a wild pitch. Two outs later, Stefan Trosclair walked on 10 pitches. Irving Lopez followed with a ground-rule double down the right field line, scoring O'Keefe for a 1-0 lead.
Nelson got a strikeout to end the inning and scattered three more base runners in three scoreless frames to finish his outing. The 23-year-old allowed one earned run on three hits in five innings, walking four while striking out four on 92 pitches (53 strikes).
Palm Beach starter Ian Oxnevad used a pickoff and a double play to face the minimum in the first two innings, but the Tarpons scored twice in the third to take the lead.
Angel Aguilar and Ben Ruta knocked back-to-back, one-out singles before a walk by Estevan Florial loaded the bases. Aguilar then scored on a sacrifice fly by Ronald Torreyes. Ruta tagged from second and third baseman Danny Hudzina missed a ball thrown by centerfield Chase Pinder, allowing Ruta to score the go-ahead run.
Oxnevad retired seven of the next eight batters he faced, completing five innings in his first start off the disabled list. The southpaw allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks, striking out one on 72 pitches (43 strikes).
LHP Trevor Lane struck out two batters in a perfect sixth inning in relief of Nelson. Prior to the home half, the game was delayed by rain for 52 minutes.
RHP Greg Weissert (BS, 2)(W, 1-0) entered in the seventh and struck out the first two batters before issuing a walk by Pinder. A passed ball by catcher Donny Sands moved Pinder to second and Kramer Robertson tied the game with an RBI single.
The Tarpons put two runners aboard in both the sixth and seventh innings, but failed to score against RHP Yeison Medina (L, 2-2) until the eighth.
Hoy Jun Park walked and went to third on a single by Dom Thompson-Williams, but Palm Beach caught Thompson-Williams rounding first for the first out. After Medina intentionally walked Isiah Gilliam, Sands delivered a go-ahead RBI single on the first pitch. A second error by Hudzina allowed Diego Castillo to reach, loading the bases.
LHP Jacob Patterson relieved Medina and Steven Sensley greeted him with a two-run double down the right field line. One out later, Ruta walked and Florial followed by legging out a two-run infield single. Park added an RBI single to left before Patterson stuck out Thompson-Williams to end the frame.
RHP Andrew Schwaab took over in the ninth and struck out two batters after allowing a leadoff walk. Robertson singled, Dylan Carlson walked and Brian O'Keefe lined a bases-clearing double to the wall in left-center before Schwaab got Shane Billings to fly out to end the game.
Florial (1-for-4, BB, 2RBI) and Sensley (1-for-4, 2RBI, R) each drove in a pair. Thompson-Williams (3-for-5) logged his fifth three-hit game and his second in eight games. Park (1-for-1, 2BB, RBI, R) and Gilliam (1-for-2, 2BB, R) also reached base three times.
Aguilar (2-for-4, R) has hit safely in 13 of his last 15 games, batting .333 (20-for-60) in that span. Ruta (1-for-3, BB, 2R) is batting .447 (17-for-38) over his last 10 games.
The series wraps up with a Sunday matinee at 1:00 p.m. RHP Nick Green (6-4, 3.39 is scheduled to make the start against RHP Jesus Cruz (3-0, 4.29). Live play-by-play audio will be available on the Tarpons Radio Network. On "Kids Funday Sunday," kids ages 14-and-under can enjoy half-off kids meals and run the bases after the game.
Images from this story
 Estevan Florial of the Tampa Tarpons (Mark LoMoglio) |
 Steven Sensley of the Tampa Tarpons slides home vs. the Palm Beach Cardinals (Mark LoMoglio) |
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