The Dunedin Blue Jays split a Florida State League doubleheader with the Lakeland Flying Tigers on Aug. 7 at Publix Field, losing 11-1 in Game 1 before winning 6-0 in Game 2.
JoJo Parker went 5-for-8 across the doubleheader with one home run, four RBIs, two doubles and one run. He recorded two singles in Game 1 before producing three hits and four RBIs in the second game, including an RBI double and a three-run home run.
Carson Messina leads one-hit shutout
Carson Messina, Reese Bassinger and Landon Waters combined for a one-hit shutout in Game 2. Lakeland recorded its only hit on a leadoff double in the sixth inning, while Messina pitched five scoreless, hitless innings with three walks and four strikeouts.
Messina earned his first win as a Dunedin Blue Jay and has now made back-to-back scoreless starts covering 9.2 innings. He has recorded 11 strikeouts, four hits and four walks across those starts. The victory was Dunedin’s sixth shutout of the season, and each of the Blue Jays’ last three wins has come by shutout.
The performance marked the first time Dunedin allowed one hit or fewer in a game since Kendry Rojas and Grayson Thurman combined for a seven-inning no-hitter at Daytona on Sept. 2, 2023.
JoJo Parker extends hitting and on-base streaks
Parker’s three-run home run in the second inning was his 13th of the season and his fourth in his last seven games. The hit extended his hitting streak to eight games and his on-base streak to 15 games.
During the eight-game hitting streak, Parker is batting .441 with four home runs, 15 RBIs and a 1.427 OPS. His four RBIs in Game 2 matched his career high and marked his third four-RBI game of the season. Friday was his 21st multi-hit game and his team-leading 19th multi-RBI game of the season.
Parker is tied for the Florida State League lead with 66 RBIs. That total is the most by a Dunedin Blue Jay since Addison Barger drove in 80 runs in 2021.
Ryan Franden went 2-for-2 with two doubles and a walk in Game 1, recording his first multi-hit game as a professional.
Source: Original report