The Lakeland Flying Tigers (32-34, 1-0) scored in each of the first four innings, using three home runs in a 10-1 win over the Dunedin Blue Jays (30-36, 0-1) on Friday at Joker Marchant Stadium.
For the fourth consecutive game, Dunedin began the scoring in the first. Jake Cook led off the game with a single, stole second and scored on an RBI triple from JoJo Parker off starter Cale Wetwiska, putting the Blue Jays ahead 1-0.
Lakeland responded with one run in the bottom half off starter Silvano Hechavarria. Jordan Yost reached on a leadoff hit by pitch, moved to second on a walk from Edian Espinal, to third on an infield single from Jesus Pinto and scored on an RBI walk from Anibal Salas, tying the game at 1-1.
The Flying Tigers took the lead in the second with two more runs off Hechavarria. Jack Goodman led off with a walk and scored on a two-run blast from Beau Ankeney, pushing Lakeland ahead 3-1.
The Flying Tigers added two more in the third against Hechavarria. Carson Rucker led off with a single and Zach MacDonald drove him in on a two-run shot, his 13th blast of the season, to extend the lead to 5-1.
Lakeland scored an additional two runs off Hechavarria in the fourth. Ankeney clobbered his second long ball of the night and his fifth over the last five games, a 440-foot solo shot to push the advantage to 6-1. Espinal tripled and scored on a wild pitch, giving the Flying Tigers a 7-1 lead.
Lakeland scored its final three runs off reliever Josbel Garcia in the seventh. Pinto walked, Goodman singled and Sergio Tapia reached on an infield single before Yost cleared the bases with a three-run double, capping the scoring at 10-1.
Reliever Eliseo Mota (2-1) took the win, throwing 3.0 hitless innings with three strikeouts and one walk. Hechavarria (2-4) was given the loss, as he allowed a career-high seven runs on six hits while walking three and punching out one over 3.2 innings.
The Flying Tigers look for a series lead as they host Dunedin on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. Lakeland LHP Caleb Leys (0-4, 4.86) faces Dunedin RHP Giacomo Taschin (0-0, --), who is making his Single-A debut.
