Lakeland Tigers Outlast Daytona Cubs in 14 Innings

By DAVID YATES
Ledger Correspondent

DAYTONA -- The Cubs and Tigers cranked up the tension even higher at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Friday night as Lakeland pulled out a 5-4, 14-inning Florida State League win over Daytona.

All three games in this fourgame series between division leaders have been hard-fought and decided in a team's last atbat. Lakeland leads two games to one.

The L-Tigers' victory also enabled them to improve the best record in professional baseball to 26-8 and simultaneously expand their West Division lead over Fort Myers (22-11) to three games. The Miracle lost at home to St. Lucie, 10-6, on Friday.

Both teams wasted numerous scoring opportunities, stranding 29 baserunners. At other times, fielders kept the game going with dazzling defensive plays.

But Lakeland finally pushed across the game-winner in the 14th, when Kody Kirkland singled, Derek Nicholson walked, and Garth McKinney looped an RBI base hit to right.

Lakeland had taken a 1-0 lead in the third when Blue singled in Scott Tousa, but former L-Tiger Scott Moore tied the game an inning later with a towering home run to dead center. The Cubs added one more run in the fourth but Danilo Sanchez pulled the L-Tigers even with his team-leading eighth home run leading off the fifth.

The Tigers and Cubs will close out their series tonight at 7, when Tiger ace Justin Verlander (4-1, 1.50) is expected to oppose southpaw Sean Marshall (2-1, 2.33).

The Tigers will return to Joker Marchant Stadium for four games with the Vero Beach Dodgers beginning Sunday afternoon at 1.