The Jupiter Hammerheads fell to the Tampa Tarpons 14-3 on Friday, Aug. 28, at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter. Tampa clinched the Florida State League West second-half division title and a playoff berth with the victory. The Tarpons also won the series over Jupiter.
Jupiter starting pitcher Elier Morillo took the loss after working three innings. He allowed four runs, three earned runs, three hits and five walks while striking out seven batters. Morillo became the third Jupiter Hammerheads pitcher to reach 100 strikeouts this season, joining Dameivi Tineo and Manuel Genao.
Tampa Builds Early Lead
The Tampa Tarpons scored four runs in the third inning after loading the bases with no outs. Bear Harrison drove in two runs with a double, and Tyce Armstrong followed with a two-RBI double to give Tampa a 4-0 lead. The inning came against Morillo.
Samuel Carpio pitched the top of the fourth inning for Jupiter and issued two walks with one out. Paul Contreras followed with a two-RBI single, and a throwing error by Jacob Lombard later allowed another run to score. Tampa took a 7-0 lead.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Ian Medina pitched the top of the sixth for Jupiter. With two outs and a runner at second, Armstrong hit a two-run home run to extend Tampa’s lead to 9-0. The Tarpons then scored five runs in the seventh inning after sending 11 batters to the plate.
Jupiter Scores in Eighth
Jupiter scored its only runs in the eighth inning. PJ Morlando opened the inning with a double, and Lombard followed with an RBI double. Luis Cova then hit a two-RBI double to left-center field, making the score 14-3 and preventing a shutout.
Jupiter entered the game with a 23-33 second-half record and a 60-62 overall record. Tampa entered with a 38-18 second-half record and a 73-49 overall record. The loss left the Hammerheads unable to overcome Tampa’s early advantage.
The Jupiter Hammerheads will host the Tampa Tarpons in Game 5 of the six-game series on Saturday, Aug. 29, at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Source: Original report