Late Surge Seals Split of Doubleheader

GAME ONE

WP: Angel Cuenca (2-0, 3.42)

LP: Luis Avila (0-2, 0.00)

BOX SCORE

JUPITER, FL – After a 5-4 loss in game one, the Clearwater Threshers (49-35, 6-12) vaulted ahead with 4.0 shutout frames from their bullpen to seal a 7-4 win in game two over the Palm Beach Cardinals (48-35, 11-6) to split the doubleheader at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Thursday night. The series reverts back to a nine-inning game when they pick up on Friday afternoon.

When the game began on Wednesday, the Cardinals struck first with four runs in the home half of the third to take a 4-0 lead. Pierce Bennett sent the first pitch of the fourth into center for a leadoff hit and moved to second after Dakota Kotowski drew a walk off Cardinals starter Gerardo Salas. In the next at-bat, Diego González took a 3-2 pitch to straightaway center for a three-run home run that put the Threshers within one run.

The game resumed on Thursday with two outs in the top of the fifth inning. Bennett led off the top of the sixth inning with a single up the middle and moved to second on a groundout. He stole third and scored on a González single to tie the game at four.

With the score tied at four after the seventh, the game went into extra innings. Clearwater couldn’t move the extra runner in the eighth inning, and a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly plated the extra runner for Palm Beach, walking off the Threshers in a 5-4 loss for Clearwater.

Enrique Segura allowed four runs on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts in 3.0 innings of a no-decision. Brandon Beckel retired all three batters he faced with one strikeout in a scoreless and hitless fourth inning. Jake Eddington tossed 3.0 scoreless and hitless innings with one walk allowed and four strikeouts. Luis Avila (0-2) took the loss, recording two outs and allowing one unearned run in the eighth.

GAME TWO

WP: Jonh Henriquez (2-1, 2.81)

LP: Augusto Calderon (1-5, 6.13)

SV: Drew Garrett (5)

BOX SCORE

In the second game, Devin Saltiban hit a solo home run to centerfield off Palm Beach starter Ixan Henderson in the first to give the Threshers an early 1-0 lead. The Cardinals tied it up on a solo home run to even the score at one after the first.

With one out in the third, Raylin Heredia slammed a triple down the left field line. After Saltiban walked, a pickoff attempt bounced out of the glove of Cardinals first baseman Ross Friedrick, allowing Saltiban to steal second and scoring Heredia from third to give the Threshers back the lead at 2-1.

Palm Beach took the lead with a three-run fourth inning, bringing a 4-2 advantage into the fifth. Avery Owusu-Asiedu led off the top of the fifth with a single off newly entered Cardinals hurler Ettore Giullianelli. Owusu-Asiedu moved to third on back-to-back wild pitches and scored on a single by Heredia to cut the deficit in half. Heredia moved to second on a groundout and Pierce Bennett doubled him home to tie the game at four.

Dakota Kotowski led off the sixth with an opposite-field home run off Cardinals reliever Augusto Calderon to give the Threshers a one-run lead. With one out in the seventh, Cardinals righty Zack Showalter walked Jared Thomas, hit Yemal Flores with a pitch and walked Kotowski to load the bases. Owusu-Asiedu sent a deep fly ball to left to plate Thomas from third and pad the Threshers lead. The next two batters were plunked by Showalter, with Saltiban getting hit with the bases loaded to drive in a run and extend the Threshers lead to 7-4 heading into the final frame.

Drew Garrett slammed the door in the seventh by striking out the side to seal a 7-4 win for the Threshers.

Mavis Graves allowed four runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 3.0 innings in a no-decision. Jonh Henriquez (2-1) walked two and struck out four in 2.0 scoreless and hitless innings to earn the victory. Garrett earned his fifth save of the season with three strikeouts and a walk in 2.0 shutout innings.

González tied his career-high with four RBIs...He has hit safely in five of his last six games...Both of the runs allowed by Avila this season have been unearned runs in extras...Saltiban became the second Thresher to reach ten home runs in 2024...He has two homers against two different teams at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium...The Threshers continue a six-game series against the Palm Beach Cardinals on Friday, July 12...First pitch will be at 12:05 PM at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadum...You can purchase Threshers tickets at ThreshersBaseball.com/tickets or by calling 727-467-4457…The Box Office at BayCare Ballpark is also open daily to purchase Threshers tickets…The hours are 10 AM-5 PM Monday through Friday and 10 AM-3 PM on Saturdays.