Threshers Rout Tortugas, 18-5
Published on May 31, 2015 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Clearwater Threshers News Release
The Clearwater Threshers exploded for a season-high 18 runs on 22 hits at Daytona on Sunday evening, rushing past the Tortugas in an 18-5 victory at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Dylan Cozens matched career-highs with four hits and four RBI's, Aaron Brown homered, and Angelo Mora collected four hits, as six different Threshers turned in multi-hit performances.
The 18 runs were the most scored by Clearwater in a game since August 20, 2010, when the Threshers defeated the Tampa Yankees on the road by an 18-6 final.
It was a different story early on Sunday.
Daytona (30-20) grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second against Threshers hurler Yacksel Rios. After Clearwater responded by putting up a four-spot off starter Nick Routt in the fourth, the Tortugas regained the lead an inning later, plating three runs on three hits and three errors to go ahead 5-4.
The sixth inning, however, belonged to the Threshers.
After reliever Jimmy Moran took over for Routt on the hill, Mitch Walding kicked off a string of four consecutive one-out singles that left the Threshers in front, 6-5.
Nolan Becker replaced Moran on the mound, and after Andrew Knapp walked to load the bases, Cozens ripped his second triple of the season to center field to bring all three runners home.
Chase Numata scored him as well by lining a single to center, Brown drew a walk, and Mora reached on an infield hit to reload the bases. Walding lifted a sacrifice fly to left to bring Numata across, and Drew Stankiewicz capped the rally with a liner to center to score Brown.
All told, the Threshers sent 13 men to the plate in the eight-run inning to bound ahead by a 12-5 margin.
Clearwater was not quite done.
Brown opened the eighth inning by driving an opposite-field shot out to left for his second home run of the season, igniting another six-run rally for the Threshers. Brown would finish just a triple short of the cycle.
Harold Guerrero (1-0) earned the victory in relief, his first professional win since July 24, 2013 with Mahoning Valley. Guerrero held down the Tortugas offense for 2.1 innings, scattering two hits and a walk while striking out two.
Rios lasted four innings in just his third start of the year, permitting two runs on five hits. The pair of runs Rios surrendered in the second inning snapped a streak of 14.1 consecutive scoreless frames.
Clearwater (25-25) moved back to .500 with the win, and evened up the series at a game apiece. The Threshers will have a chance to take the three-game set and move to within four games of the FSL North lead when they battle Daytona in the series finale on Monday at 7:05 p.m.
Victor Arano (0-5) will toe the rubber for Clearwater, opposed by Daytona's Barrett Astin (2-1).
Florida State League Stories from May 31, 2015
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