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Stankiewicz Lifts Threshers to Comeback Win

May 31, 2017 - Florida State League (FSL1) - Clearwater Threshers News Release


CLEARWATER, Fla. - Down 5-2 early on Wednesday afternoon, the Threshers rallied for five runs against the Florida bullpen to take down the Fire Frogs 9-5 at Spectrum Field.

Drew Stankiewicz keyed the comeback with a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Threshers the lead. Zach Coppola stayed hot with three more hits and finished a home run short of the cycle, while Mark Laird drove in a season-high three runs in a 2-for-5 day.

Clearwater (29-24) evened up the series with the Fire Frogs at a game apiece, and pulled even in the season series. The Threshers have gone 9-9 against Florida (22-31).

The Fire Frogs pulled ahead early, when Tyler Neslony doubled home a run off starter Alberto Tirado in the opening frame.

Coppola answered by knocking a triple over Anfernee Seymour in right field to start the bottom of the first, and scored on Laird's chopper up the middle. Laird would later cross as well on a Herlis Rodriguez grounder, putting the Threshers briefly ahead 2-1.

A pair of errors led to two unearned runs in the second.

An error, a hit batter, and a walk loaded the bases, before a two-out grounder eluded Rodriguez at first, permitting two runs to cross. The Fire Frogs extended their lead to 5-2 an inning later, when Carlos Castro knocked a two-run homer to left.

Clearwater managed to keep it close, as Damek Tomscha led off the third with a double off Touki Toussaint and scored on Cornelius Randolph 's sacrifice fly.

Harold Arauz (1-0) quieted the Fire Frogs offense, taking over in relief to start the sixth. The right-hander retired all nine men he faced, striking out three.

The Threshers inched closer in the bottom of the sixth, after a walk to Austin Bossart and a Grenny Cumana single opened the frame. Florida called upon reliever Sean McLaughlin, and after Coppola dropped down a sacrifice bunt, Bossart came home on Laird's groundout to second to cut the deficit to one.

McLaughlin (2-1) set the first two down in the seventh before Rodriguez drew a five-pitch walk.

On a one-strike offering, Stankiewicz launched one over the right field wall and onto the berm for the go-ahead shot, a two-run home run that put the Threshers up 6-5. The home run was Stankiewicz's fourth of the season. 14 of his 18 RBI this year have come in the sixth inning or later.

The Threshers poured on three more off reliever Taylor Lewis in the eighth. Cumana walked, and Laird dropped a liner to left to bring Cumana home before hustling into second with a double. After Tomscha was hit by a pitch, Deivi Grullon doubled off the wall in left to score two more and give the Threshers a 9-5 lead.

Clearwater will look to take the advantage in the series on Thursday, as Jacob Waguespack (2-2) has the start against Enderson Franco (0-3) at 7 p.m. on Taps and Tacos Night, presented by Tijuana Flats. The game will be broadcast live on threshersbaseball.com starting at 6:45 p.m.


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