WP: Cody Bowker (1-3, 5.66)
LP: Kyle McCoy (0-1, 3.66)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – After a 4-2 win in game one, the Clearwater Threshers (19-13) tied their season high with 17 strikeouts in a 7-5 win over the Daytona Tortugas (12-20), sweeping a doubleheader on Saturday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Clearwater looks to claim the series when they return for the matinee finale on Sunday evening.
Robert Phelps stroked a single to left on the second pitch of game one and moved to third on a hit-and-run groundout. Griffin Burkholder followed with a deep fly ball that was caught on the warning track in left, allowing Phelps to score the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the first. The Tortugas responded with a two-run home run in the home half of the inning to flip the one-run lead to the home team.
Gabriel Rincones Jr. drew a one-out walk in the fifth against Tortuga’s reliever Kyle McCoy to start a rally for Clearwater. On a 3-2 count, Burkholder cleared the scoreboard in Daytona with a two-run blast that gave the Threshers a 3-2 lead. Jonathan Hogart followed with a double to right, scoring on a two-out single by Juan Villavicencio that doubled the Threshers advantage. The Tortugas had the tying run at the plate in the seventh, but Clearwater’s bullpen slammed the door shut for a 4-2 game one win.
Gage Wood surrendered two runs on one hit and four walks with three strikeouts in 2.2 innings of a no-decision. Richie Cortese retired the only batter he faced on a pop out to finish the third. Cody Bowker (1-3) earned the victory in the final 4.0 shutout innings allowing one walk and one hit with six strikeouts out of the bullpen
WP: Wen Hui Pan (2-0, 5.40)
LP: Shang-En Lin (2-2, 5.32)
SV: Gabe Craig (2)
The second game began as a pitcher’s duel, with a combined ten strikeouts from the starting pitchers in the first two innings. With two outs in the top of the third inning, Victor Cardoza was hit by a pitch from Tortuga’s starter Shang-En Lin. A pickoff attempt at first went awry, and with the throw going into the right field corner, Cardoza was able to move to third on an error. He scored on a balk from third to open up the scoring at 1-0 Threshers.
Alirio Ferrebus sent the second pitch of the top of the fourth inning to the left-centerfield wall for a leadoff double. Nolan Beltran doubled in Ferrebus to double the Threshers’ advantage. Jonathan Hogart followed with an infield single that kept Beltran on second before the first out of the frame. After the second out, Cardoza hit a double into left field that plated two runs for the Threshers. He scored from second on an Angel Mata single to give Clearwater a 5-0 lead. Daytona bounced back with two runs in the home half of the fourth to cut the deficit to three runs.
With two outs in the top of the fifth, Beltran drew a walk against newly entered reliever Abraham Gaitan. Two pitches later, Jonathan Hogart sent a towering blast over the left field wall for a two-run homer that returned the advantage to five runs. After two more runs from the Tortugas in the bottom half, Clearwater took a three-run advantage into the sixth. Daytona added one more run in the bottom of the seventh, but the Threshers kept the tying run at the plate to seal the doubleheader sweep with a 7-5 victory.
Ramón Márquez surrendered two unearned runs on one hit with two walks and nine strikeouts in 4.0 innings of a no-decision. Wen Hui Pan (2-0) struck out five batters in 1.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Tyler Bowen faced two batters in the bottom of the sixth, walking one and striking out one. Gabe Craig picked up the save, surrendering one run on one hit with one walk and one strikeout in 1.0 inning.
Burkholder has homered twice in one series for the first time in his pro career...Bowker came out of the bullpen for the first time since he pitched at Georgetown University in 2024...He earned his first career win in his longest outing as a professional...Márquez struck out each of the first seven batters he faced to start his 2026 season...Every out recorded by Pan in his two relief appearances in Daytona was a strikeout...The Threshers conclude a six-game road series against the Daytona Tortugas on Sunday, May 10...First pitch on Sunday evening will take place at 1:05 pm...You can purchase Threshers tickets at ThreshersBaseball.com/tickets or by calling 727-467-4457…The BayCare Ballpark Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 10 am – 5 pm...The box office will be open on Saturdays from 10 am - 3 pm...Visit our website at threshersbaseball.com for information on tickets and promotions for the Threshers season.