Friday was a mixed bag for the Lakeland Flying Tigers, but Michael Massey and Jhonan Coba both gave them exactly what they needed on the mound.
Lakeland split its doubleheader with Bradenton, rolling in the opener before dropping the nightcap, while West Michigan’s season came to an end and Toledo and Somerset both took heavy losses.
Massey’s second outing went smoothly in Game 1, and the Flying Tigers backed him with a patient, walk-heavy attack in a 10-2 win over the Marauders in seven innings. The right-hander worked 2.1 innings, allowed one hit, struck out three and did not issue a walk.
Cris Rodriguez put Lakeland on the board with a bases-loaded walk in the first, then the offense broke things open in the fourth. Michael Oliveto and Zach MacDonald singled, Maddox Molony walked, and Brady Ballinger’s soft roller back to the pitcher turned into two runs when the throw got away.
Jordan Yost added a sacrifice fly, and Tyson LeBlanc doubled in Ballinger to make it 5-0.
Bradenton got a little life in the fourth against Alemain Cruz, who came on for Massey in the third. Cruz gave up a solo homer and a walk, and a triple brought that runner home to cut it to 5-2.
But Lakeland kept stacking traffic later on. In the sixth, Molony was hit by a pitch to open the inning, Ballinger doubled him to third, and walks to Jude Warwick and Yost forced in another run.
A passed ball scored Ballinger, Anibal Salas walked to bring in Warwick, and Rodriguez reached on a double play that still got Yost across. The Flying Tigers tacked on one more in the seventh when MacDonald scored from third on a Ballinger double play ball.
LeBlanc finished 3-for-3 with a run, an RBI, a double and a walk. Molony went 2-for-2 with two runs and a walk.
The second game was tighter, and Lakeland nearly stole it late. Coba, a 20-year-old pitching prospect, delivered three strong innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out four. Grayson Grinsell was less sharp, giving up a run in the fourth and another in the sixth as Bradenton moved ahead 2-0.
Lakeland’s comeback came with its back against the wall in the seventh. Jesus Pinto opened the inning with a walk, and after Anibal Salas popped out, Zach MacDonald drew another walk.
Michael Oliveto then ripped a 105.2 mph double to right to score both runners and tie the game. Enderson Delgado followed with a single that brought Oliveto home and gave Lakeland the lead.
The Marauders answered to take the game 4-3.
Elsewhere, the Toledo Mud Hens were held to five hits in a 6-0 loss to Indianapolis. Dylan File started and was solid through four innings before the wheels came off in the fifth and sixth, when he was charged with four runs in the fifth and another in the sixth.
Hayden Minton finished the sixth, Brenan Hanifee allowed a run in the seventh, and Brant Hurter threw a perfect eighth. Anderson went 1-for-3 with a walk, and File took the loss after allowing five earned runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings.
Erie blasted Somerset 17-0 in a game that got out of hand almost immediately. The Patriots pitching staff allowed 16 hits and 12 walks, and the SeaWolves piled on from the first inning on.
Peyton Graham was hit by a pitch to begin the bottom of the first, Woody Hadeen singled, Zyhir Hope reached on an error, and a wild pitch brought Graham in. Izaac Pacheco walked to load the bases, and Luke Shliger lifted a sacrifice fly to score Hadeen.
The second inning turned into a rout. Roberto Campos tripled and scored on a wild pitch, Patrick Lee walked and later scored on another wild pitch after taking second, and Graham doubled him in.
Hadeen singled in Graham, then Hope, Exposito and Pacheco all walked to force in another run. Shliger added another sacrifice fly, and Campos finished the scoring in the inning with an RBI double to make it 9-0.
Exposito singled in Graham and Hadeen in the third, and the rest of the night was largely a formality.
Kenny Serwa cruised through seven innings for Erie, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out five. Eric Silva struck out three over two perfect innings to close it out.
Hadeen finished 3-for-5 with four runs, an RBI, a walk and a strikeout. Campos went 2-for-4 with a run, an RBI, a double, a triple, two walks and a strikeout.
Hope was 2-for-5 with a run, a walk and two strikeouts. Pacheco went 1-for-2 with two runs, two RBI, three walks and a stolen base.
West Michigan’s playoff hopes were officially ended in an 8-1 loss to Dayton, a night in which the Whitecaps managed only one hit. Maddux Long took the ball and settled in after a rough first inning, allowing two runs early before working into the sixth.
The Dragons added another in the sixth after a Jack Goodman error at shortstop opened the door. The Whitecaps did get on the board in the third when Cristian Santana doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Nolan McCarthy sacrifice fly, but that was the extent of the offense.
Dayton then broke it open with five runs in the seventh, helped by errors from JoJo Ingrassia, Santana at third and Stephen Hrustrich in left. Santana was 1-for-3 with a run and a double.
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