Saltiban’s Four-Hit Night Spurs Threshers to Victory

WP: Jonh Henriquez (1-1, 2.89)

LP: Julio Mendez (1-2, 4.88)

BOX SCORE

JUPITER, FL – A 4-5 night from Devin Saltiban, including a homer and two RBIs helped the Clearwater Threshers (41-23) take a 11-4 victory over the Jupiter Hammerheads (36-28) on Tuesday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. The Threshers can clinch a playoff berth with a win and a Lakeland loss when they return to Jupiter to play on Wednesday night.

Jordan Viars drew a leadoff walk off Hammerheads starter Julio Mendez to start the game in the top of the first. Saltiban lined a double out to right field that moved Viars to third. An errant throw was made from right by Kemp Alderman of the Hammerheads, allowing Viars to score and plate the game’s opening run for Clearwater.

Saltiban homered on the second pitch of the third inning to give the Threshers a 2-0 lead. Dakota Kotowski reached on a fielder’s choice and moved to second on a single by Raylin Heredia. Bryson Ware cleared the bases with a two-run double to double the Threshers advantage to 4-0.

Jupiter struck back in the home half of the third, plating two to halve the Threshers lead down to 4-2 after three innings. They added another in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Threshers lead to one.

On the first pitch he saw in the sixth inning, Avery Owusu-Asiedu hit a solo home run to left off Jupiter’s reliever Collin Lowe to get a run back. Viars tripled and then scored on a Saltiban RBI single. Pierce Bennett walked and Kotowski singled to load the bases. Heredia reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed Saltiban to score on an RBI. With two aboard, Ware smashed a three-run homer to left-center that brought the Threshers lead up to 10-3.

The Hammerheads responded with another run in the bottom of the sixth, cutting the Threshers advantage to six runs. After a brief rain delay in the top of the eighth, the game resumed with Heredia on first base after a leadoff walk earlier in the frame. He advanced on a wild pitch and a passed ball, scoring on the passed ball from second to make it 11-4 Threshers.

The Threshers bullpen shut down the Hammerheads after the sixth, and Ethan Chenault struck out the side in the ninth to secure the 11-4 victory.

Casey Steward allowed three runs on six hits in 4.2 innings of work, striking out five and walking two in a no-decision. Jonh Henriquez surrendered one run on three hits with two strikeouts in 1.1 frames. Paxton Thompson fanned two of the three batters he faced in a scoreless and hitless seventh inning. Chenault tossed 2.0 shutout innings, with one hit allowed and four strikeouts.

Hettiger has tied Viars for the longest on-base streak by a Thresher this season, reaching base in his 19th-straight game...Ware set a career-high with five RBIs...Saltiban set a career high with four hits...Viars’ triple was his first of the season...Henriquez earned his first win of the season...The Threshers continue a six-game road series against the Jupiter Hammerheads on Wednesday, June 19...First pitch will be at 6:30 PM at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium...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.