FSL1 Charlotte Stone Crabs

Tigers Avoid Sweep with 9-4 Win

Published on July 19, 2014 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Charlotte Stone Crabs News Release


PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - With an opportunity to win their fourth straight game for the first time in two months, the Stone Crabs could never get going in the final regular season meeting against the Tigers. Tommy Collier helped Lakeland erase the sting of six straight losses, and the Tigers salvaged the final game of the series with a 9-4 victory in front of 2,662 at Charlotte Sports Park.

One of the early storylines in the series amidst three Stone Crabs victories was how fleeting the Tigers momentum lasted. However, they did manage a run off Ryne Stanek in the first without the luxury of a base hit. A leadoff walk to Curt Powell and a wild pitch got him to second before Connor Harrell's deep fly ball to right allowed him to tag to third. Jeff McVaney soon brought Powell home with a groundout to second that gave the Tigers the early lead.

Collier got roughed up early following a Johnny Field double, a Tommy Coyle bunt single, and a Leonardo Reginatto bloop tied the score in the first. Patrick Leonard's lineout to left gave Coyle enough time to tag from third and give the Stone Crabs the lead. However, Collier locked in and starting with Leonard's out, he'd retire 15 of the next 16 hitters he faced until the sixth. In his return from Double-A Erie, the righthander fanned seven while striking out the side in the second and third.

Austin Green's two out single in the third retied the score at two apiece after Powell's leadoff double. Things only got worse for Stanek in the fourth following a leadoff single by Jared Reaves. James Robbins then cranked a double over Field's head in straightaway center to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead. Tyler Hanover's sacrifice bunt pushed Robbins to third and Chad Wright took care of the rest at the bottom of the order with a single. Lakeland made it 6-2 in Stanek's (1-1) final inning in the fifth courtesy of two out base hits by Lance Durham and Reaves.

Collier finally showed he was mortal in the sixth once Coyle collected his third hit with a triple to open the frame. A walk to Leonardo Reginatto and a 2-2 fastball that grazed the arm of Leonard loaded the bases for Maxx Tissenbaum, who added his fifth RBI of the series with a sacrifice fly to left which cut the deficit in half at 6-3. Tyler Goeddel's run scoring single brought them closer at 6-4, but Collier (1-0) closed out his return by retiring Marty Gantt and Josh Sale to end the inning.

Perhaps the Tigers clubhouse ritual of placing various pieces of equipment in a taped off circle lined with baby powder shook the demons from the offense. Facing Marcus Jensen in the seventh, Harrell led off with an infield single before the Stone Crabs reliever walked McVaney. Another sacrifice bunt off the bat of Green pushed the runners to second and third for Durham. The big designated hitter worked ahead 3-1 before launching a three-run home run high off the batter's eye that would have made Pedro Cerrano proud. A fitting end to the Tigers six-game losing streak, and the 9-4 score would remain for the rest of the night.

The Stone Crabs ship out for Clearwater to start their longest roadtrip of the season. First game in the four-game series gets underway on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM, with Rays righthander Jeremy Hellickson joining the team for his second rehab start with the Stone Crabs. You can follow all the action by listening to the game on www.stonecrabsbaseball.com via TuneIn Radio, or tuning into 91.7 FM-WVIJ in the Port Charlotte area. The Stone Crabs Pregame Show starts at 12:40 PM on the Stone Crabs Radio Network!

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Florida State League Stories from July 19, 2014


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