Threshers down Jays in series finale

Dunedin, FL – The Threshers handed the Blue Jays their third consecutive loss, 5-2, on Sunday afternoon at TD Ballpark. With the defeat, Dunedin loses the series with their Florida State League West rival, four games to two.

D-Jays starter and Clearwater native Landen Maroudis opened the game with two scoreless innings, before allowing a one-out double in the third. After the double, Maroudis had to leave the game with the trainer due to an apparent injury.

Jerry Huntzinger finished the inning in scoreless fashion, but surrendered two runs in the fourth on a bouncing, two-RBI single from Dakota Kotowski that hopped over third baseman Manuel Beltre that made it 2-0 Threshers.

For the second straight game, Clearwater’s starter fired five scoreless frames, as lefty Mavis Graves struck out nine and eventually earned the win.

Irv Carter came out for the sixth for Dunedin and struck out back-to-back batters to open the frame, before walking Kotowski, and then allowing an RBI double from Diego Gonzalez that pushed the deficit to 3-0.

The Jays snapped an 18-inning scoreless stretch (dating back to Friday night) with two runs in the sixth. Arjun Nimmala opened the rally with a leadoff double, and Yhoangel Aponte drove him in on his own two-bagger. With two outs, Alexis Hernandez scored Aponte on an infield single to make it 3-2. The threat ended with the tying run on second.

The Threshers got those runs back in the eighth on a Trent Farquhar sacrifice fly and Pierce Bennett RBI single, making it a 5-2 ballgame.

Dunedin threatened in the ninth with a Beltre single and Nimmala walk, but fell short.

The Jays hit the road to Jupiter for a six-game series, starting Tuesday night at 6:30. Dunedin returns home to TD Ballpark for a six-game series with Tampa, starting April 30.