Seven Run Seventh Sends D-Jays to Victory

Jupiter, FL - Dustin McGowan may be taking his comeback slow and steady, but that doesn't change the fact that he is looking very good.

The right-hander worked three innings on Monday night in Jupiter, allowing just one run on three hits, and the Dunedin Blue Jays took game one of a four game series with the Jupiter Hammerheads by a final score of 9-1.

The Hammerheads got on the board first in the second inning when they put together three consecutive singles before catcher Taylor Krick hit a sacrifice fly to right. Those three hits were the only ones that McGowan allowed, and the one run would be their last of the night.

Kevin Ahrens tied the game at one in the top of the fourth when he led off the inning by taking Jupiter started Rob Rasmussen out of the yard on the very first pitch. It was Ahrens' 10th home run of the season, making him the fourth Blue Jay hitter to reach double digits in home runs.

Ryan Tepera entered the game in the bottom half of the fourth, and he was simply dominant. He retired the first nine batters he faced, and watched the Blue Jays take the lead in the fifth on an Ivan Contreras RBI double down the line in left.

With the D-Jays leading 2-1 heading into the seventh, Rasmussen (8-9) and the rest of the Hammerheads fell apart. Rasmussen, a 2nd round pick of the Marlins in 2010, began the inning by walking two in a row and then John Talley reached on an error to load the bases. A walk of Chris Hopkins to force in the Blue Jays third run spelled the end of the night for Rasmussen, but it was just the beginning of the Blue Jays fun in the seventh.

When it was all said and done Dunedin had sent 12 men to the plate, and scored seven runs on five walks, four hits and an error to put the game out of reach at 9-1.

That was more than enough for Tepera (8-5) who scattered three singles over his six innings and was in complete command from the time he took the mound in the fourth.

The Blue Jays will look to win their third straight on Tuesday night with Nestor Molina on the mound in search of his 10th victory. Molina will be opposed by Chad James, and the first pitch is scheduled for 6:30pm. You can listen live on dunedinbluejays.com.

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