Threshers Face Yankees For The First Time This Year

Brian Sellier Crushes Two Home Runs In Losing Effort

PLAYER Pos. H/AB Details Matt Thayer LF 0-4 - Brian Burgamy CF 1-4 Stolen Base Mike Costanzo 3B 1-4 - Brian Sellier DH 3-4 2 Home Runs Mike Dzurilla 1B 1-4 Stolen Base JJ Johnson RF 0-4 - Brad Harman SS 0-3 - Avelino Asprilla 2B 0-4 - Zach Norman C 1-3 -

PITCHER IP R H K BB Derek Griffith 7.0 2 5 5 2 Andrew Baldwin (L:1-0) 1.1 0 0 2 0 --- 0.0 0 0 0 0

The Clearwater Threshers headed to Legend's Field in Tampa to face the Yankees for the first time of this young season on Thursday night. It didn't take long for the "Evil Empire" to get on the board when back-to-back doubles in the first inning off of Threshers' starting pitcher Derek Griffith allowed a run to score.

Fortunately for the Threshers Brian Sellier added another home run to his season total for his third homer and the Threshers were right back into the game tied at 1-1 after two innings of work. Not content with a tie game Brian Sellier crushed a second home run in his second AB in the fourth inning of the game to put the team up 2-1 after three-and-a-half innings of play.

In the fifth inning Threshers pitcher Derek Griffith got into a bit of a jam when the Yankees strung together a lead off double and a single to score a run, but he managed to get out of the inning with a couple of quick outs. At that point though it was a whole new ballgame tied up at 2-2 after five innings of work.

From the sixth inning on the game would become a pitchers dual with each team struggling to come out on top. The Threshers managed single in the sixth seventh and eighth innings, and each time the runner was able to move to second thanks to a pair of stolen bases and a fielder's choice hit, but they could not get a run home to regain a lead.

Over this same period of time the Yankees managed only one base runner on a walk, and were caught stealing as they tried to get their runner into scoring position. The game would go to the final frame tied 2-2 with each team having one last chance to end the game in regulation.

The Threshers got off to a good start in the ninth with back-to-back singles from Mike Costanzo and Brian Sellier. After a failed bunt attempt by Mike Dzurilla and a K by JJ Johnson, Brad Harman was able to reach on a fielding error to load the bases. Avelino Asprilla then hit into a force play, and it was time to put the defense to work and force this game into extra innings.

Unfortunately Clearwater Threshers reliever Andy Baldwin could not keep the Yankees in check as a lead off single, sacrifice bunt, and a double were executed by the Yankees to score the game winning run and take the game in the bottom of the ninth inning 3-2.

With the loss the Threshers fall into a three-way tie for second place two games behind the division leading Ft. Myers Miracle. The Threshers will return to face the Yankees for games on Friday and Saturday before returning home on Sunday to face the Lakeland Tigers.

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