TAMPA, Fla. – Friday night's game slipped away from the Tampa Tarpons (11-14) as the St. Lucie Mets (11-14) broke things open late to pull away, 8-1.
Making his professional debut, Brennan Stuprich turned in an encouraging performance on the mound. The right-hander set the tone early with a six-pitch, 1-2-3 first inning and carried that momentum through four innings of one-run ball, striking out six along the way.
The game remained scoreless until the top of the fourth, when Randy Guzman put St. Lucie on the board with a solo home run.
Tampa answered in the bottom half of the inning, as Enmanuel Tejeda launched a solo shot of his own, driving it just under the right-center field cabanas to even the score at one.
The Mets seized control in the later innings, plating seven runs over the final three frames while capitalizing on Tarpons miscues. The surge was highlighted by back-to-back triples and a pair of solo home runs, pushing the lead to 8-1, which would stand as the final.
Offensively, Tejeda led the way for Tampa, going 3-for-4 and finishing a triple shy of the cycle.
Tampa will look to rebound tomorrow night at George M. Steinbrenner Field for Youth Sports Night, with first pitch scheduled at 6:30 PM.