Tigers prospect Michael Gerber homers in Lakeland win

Lakeland Flying Tigers 14, Palm Beach Cardinals 3 (box)

After being held scoreless for a couple innings, the Flying Tigers exploded for 14 runs over the next five frames, leading to an easy win. Michael Gerber and Zac Shepherd homered for the Flying Tigers, and Gerber’s four RBI led the team. Outfielder Alex Presley chipped in with a four-hit game and three RBI of his own. Overall, the Flying Tigers offense managed 14 hits and nine (!) walks, and were 7-for-18 with runners in scoring position. Starter Jeff Thompson only worked 4 2/3 innings, so Endrys Briceno earned the win in relief. The win was Lakeland’s 39th of the season; their 5-12 second-half record has them in fifth place in the Florida State League’s North Division.

Presley: 4-4, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB, SB
Gerber: 2-5, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB
Simcox: 2-5, R, RBI, SO
Shepherd: 1-1, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB
Thompson: 4.2 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 7 SO

Coming up next: The Flying Tigers are off on Tuesday. They will travel to Charlotte on Wednesday to take on the Stone Crabs. Trent Szkutnik (0-2, 7.36 ERA) is scheduled to start for Lakeland.

Fort Wayne TinCaps 4, West Michigan Whitecaps 3 (F/13) (box)

A pair of RBI singles from Will Allen and Jose Azocar in the bottom of the seventh tied the score at 3, and the teams remained deadlocked for five more innings before the TinCaps scored the game-winning run in the top of the 13th. Reliever Yordy Cabrera took the loss for West Michigan, his first of the season. The two teams combined for 29 hits on the night, including 16 for the Whitecaps. Jose Zambrano and Rashad Brown had three hits apiece, and four others had two-hit games. The Whitecaps’ lack of power showed up again; fifteen of their 16 hits were singles, while the TinCaps hit three home runs.

Zambrano: 3-5, R, BB, SB
Brown: 3-7, RBI, 2 SO
Azocar: 2-5, RBI, BB, SB
Boardman: 3.0 IP, 4 H, ER, SO

Coming up next: The Whitecaps are off on Tuesday. Their next game is on Wednesday against Emilio Vargas (0-3, 4.22 ERA) and the Kane County Cougars. Spenser Watkins (1-0, 3.74 ERA) will start for West Michigan.

State College Spikes 3, Connecticut Tigers 1 (box)

The Tigers managed just five hits — all singles — in a low-scoring loss to the Spikes. Gregory Soto had a solid game, holding the Spikes to three runs (two earned) on four hits in five innings, but took his first loss of the season. John Schreiber and Zac Houston combined to throw four scoreless innings in relief. Tanner Donnels drove in the lone run for the Tigers. Despite the loss, Connecticut is still in first place in the New York-Penn League’s Stedler division with a 15-9 record.

Donnels: 1-3, RBI
Bauml: 1-3, BB
Soto (L): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 3 SO
Houston: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, BB, 4 SO

Coming up next: Austin Sodders (0-1, 2.16 ERA) will start for the Tigers on Tuesday as they continue their series with the Spikes. Bryan Dobzanski (2-1, 2.00 ERA) will start for State College.