Palm Beach Surrenders Four Runs in Ninth Inning in 6-4 Loss to Jupiter at Mega Bash

JUPITER, FL - The Palm Beach Cardinals (44-34, 7-5) surrendered four runs in the top of the ninth inning to the Jupiter Hammerheads (42-37, 6-7) and lost by a final score of 6-4 on Thursday at the Mega Bash at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. With the loss, the Cardinals had their three-game win streak snapped to begin this new three-game series.

The offenses were kept off the scoreboard until the top of the third inning with Jupiter at the plate against Palm Beach starting pitcher Jose Davila. After a leadoff walk to Angelo DiSpigna who later advanced to second base, Junior Sanchez drove in DiSpigna on an RBI single to give Jupiter an early 1-0 lead.

It wasn't until the bottom of the fifth inning when Palm Beach got on the scoreboard off of Jupiter starting pitcher Collin Lowe. Kade Kretzschmar and Jose Suarez hit back-to-back singles to start the frame and advanced to second and third base on a sacrifice bunt by Anyelo Encarnacion. Maikel Hernandez would drive in Kretzschmar on an RBI single to make it a tie game. Lizandro Espinoza would follow with a two-RBI double to give Palm Beach the 3-1 lead.

Davila finished with a season-high seven innings pitched and allowed just one run on five hits and one walk and struck out five batters.

Jupiter got a run closer in the top of the eight inning as Jordan McCants would score on a wild pitch by Cardinals relief pitcher Benjamin Arias and would cut the lead to just 3-2. That score remained into the top of the ninth inning when Zack Showalter (L, 1-2; BS, 2) came in for the save for the Cardinals. The Hammerheads loaded the bases with one out and McCants would hit a sacrifice fly scoring Kemp Alderman to tie the ballgame at 3-3. DiSpigna would follow with a soft ground ball in front of the mound and hit an RBI infield single but a throwing error from Hernandez allowed another run to score to make it 5-3 in favor of Jupiter. JT Mabry capped the Hammerheads' scoring with an RBI single to give the Hammerheads their largest lead of the week at 6-3.

The Cardinals had one final chance in the bottom of the ninth against Jupiter relief pitcher Justin Storm (W, 4-1). Anyelo Encarnacion led off with a single and advanced to second base on a balk. With one out, Espinoza smacked an RBI single to cut the deficit to 6-4. Later in the frame, with two runners on and the winning run at the plate, Chase Adkison struck out to end the ballgame and the 6-4 score held as Palm Beach fell to Jupiter on this July 4th Mega Bash celebration.

Palm Beach starting pitchers have allowed just one run on 15 hits in 27 innings pitched during these last four games against Jupiter. Espinoza led the Cardinals' offense by going 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and three RBIs. Suarez has begun his Single-A career with seven hits in his first four games with a 2-for-4 day at the plate and a run scored.

Palm Beach and Jupiter will continue the series on Friday, July 5th with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Chen-Wei Lin (5-4, 2.91 ERA) will get the start on the mound against Keyner Benitez (0-1, 3.54 ERA) for Jupiter. Click here to purchase your tickets.

Silver Sluggers Program: Want to beat every early-bird special in Palm Beach County? Fans 55 and up can click here to become a member of the Silver Sluggers program which gets you a ticket to every Wednesday Florida State League game, a chance to win prizes in baseball bingo, an official Silver Sluggers T-shirt, a team store discount, and a free hot dog and soda at the ballpark.

Thirsty Thursday: All fans 21 and up can click here to become a part of Thirsty Thursdays at The Dean. For $75, fans get a reserved box seat to every Thursday Florida State League game and a special koozie which gets you access to $1, $2, and $3 drink specials.

Kids Club: Kids can click here take part in the best entertainment deal in Palm Beach County. For $30, members receive tickets to every Saturday Florida State League game, a free hot dog and soda at the game, an official Kids Club T-shirt, a team store discount, and a chance to run the bases after the game.

About Jupiter Stadium, LTD:

Opening in 1998, the 110-acre complex/stadium is specially designed to house two Major League and two Minor League Baseball Teams. The stadium is home to the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals for Spring Training. The Florida State League’s Jupiter Hammerheads (Class A Affiliate of the Miami Marlins) and Palm Beach Cardinals (Class A Affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals) make their home at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium from April through September. This year-round facility can accommodate the smallest birthday party to the largest corporate outing, while never forgetting that each and every fan is our most important product.