JUPITER, FL – The Palm Beach Cardinals (25-22) fell to the Lakeland Flying Tigers (25-21) in a back-and-forth contest by a final score of 7-3 on Wednesday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
Lakeland took an early lead in the top of the third inning when Zach MacDonald blasted a solo home run to left field, his 11th home run of the season, off Palm Beach starting pitcher Payton Graham to take a 1-0 lead.
The Cardinals immediately responded in the bottom of the third inning. Trevor Haskins hit a leadoff double to left field, and Matthew Miura, who made his season debut, followed with an RBI double down the left field line to tie the game. Later in the frame, with runners at second and third base, Ryan Mitchell hit a sacrifice fly to left field to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead after three innings.
In the top of the fourth inning, Lakeland led off with a walk drawn by Trei Cruz. Two batters later, Beau Ankeney hit a two-run home run to put the Flying Tigers back on top. Graham was pulled from his Palm Beach home debut after 3 2/3 innings pitched and allowed three runs, one walk, three hits, and struck out three batters. Kaden Echeman was the first pitcher out of the Palm Beach bullpen and finished the top of the fourth for Graham without further damage.
The game continued to go back-and-forth as the Cardinals answered back in the bottom of the frame. With one out, Chase Heath launched a solo home run to left field, his fifth home run of the season, and tied the game at 3-3.
However, Lakeland took over the game in the top of the fifth inning against new Cardinals pitcher Jake Shelagowski (L, 2-3). With one out, Shelagowski committed a throwing error which allowed Jack Goodman to get to second base. Jordan Yost followed with an RBI double to left field to give the Flying Tigers the lead again. Cruz added an RBI single for an insurance run as the Flying Tigers took a 5-3 lead.
In the top of the seventh inning, Lakeland added on to their lead. After two walks, Beau Ankeney and Jesus Pinto hit two RBI singles to give the Flying Tigers a 7-3 lead.
After the seventh inning, both offenses went quietly. The Palm Beach lineup had no answers for Jan Caraballo (W, 1-1) and Alistair Tanner (Sv, 1) who combined for 5 1/3 scoreless innings of relief for Lakeland as the Cardinals fell 7-3 on Wednesday night.
The Cardinals and Flying Tigers head into game three of this six-game series on Thursday, May 28th with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Click here to purchase your Palm Beach Cardinals tickets.
For select Saturdays in 2026, the Palm Beach Cardinals take on the alternate identity of the “Palm Beach Frozen Iguanas!” You can join the cold front and purchase an “Ice Cold 12-Pack” ticket package to get a ticket for all Frozen Iguanas games, exclusive benefits, and access to special events as part of this season-long membership.
Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium is “America’s Busiest Ballpark” as the only home of two full season minor league affiliates. Enjoy the best entertainment membership packages in Palm Beach County with our staple programs like “Rockwell Hearing Center Silver Sluggers” every Wednesday for all fans 55 and up, “Thirsty Thursdays” every Thursday for all fans 21 and up, and “Code Ninjas Kids Club” every Saturday for all fans 15 and under.
New to 2026, fans can purchase tickets to the Jupiter Medical Center Champions Club down the left field line for an elevated baseball experience. Returning for 2026, every Tuesday game is a “2-for-1 Tuesday” where fans get two reserved box tickets for the price of one ($15) and every Sunday game is a “$10 Sunday” where all tickets are just 10 dollars. For more information on tickets, schedules, promotions, and more, call the ticket office at 561-630-1828 or visit the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium website.
About Jupiter Stadium, LTD:
Opening in 1998, the 110-acre complex/stadium is specially designed to house two Major League and two Minor League Baseball Teams. The stadium is home to the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals for Spring Training. The Florida State League’s Jupiter Hammerheads (Class A Affiliate of the Miami Marlins) and Palm Beach Cardinals (Class A Affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals) make their home at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium from April through September. Branded as “America’s Busiest Ballpark,” this year-round facility can accommodate everything from birthday parties to corporate outings to tournaments, while never forgetting that every fan is our most important priority.