LAKELAND – After a rain out Wednesday night, the Daytona Cubs (28-37, 62-70) and Lakeland Flying Tigers (25-37, 54-73) split a doubleheader at Joker Marchant Stadium. The Flying Tigers took game one with a 4-3 walk off win, their second consecutive walk off. But the Cubs offense exploded for ten runs and thirteen hits for the game two win, 10-7, and a win of the season series, nine-games-to-eight.

The Cubs started the game one scoring in the second inning. Shortstop Marwin Gonzalez led off with a single to left and catcher Mark Reed drew a walk two batters later. Designated hitter Jericho Jones then singled in Gonzalez for his tenth RBI of the season. Reed would find home plate on centerfielder Kevin Soto’s fielder’s choice, which gave Soto his first RBI as a D-Cub.

Lakeland responded with a run of their own in the second. James Leverton (9-11) issued a one-out walk to Hernan Perez, who made his way around the bases on back-to-back singles by Luis Grullon and Francisco Martinez.

The Flying Tigers took their first lead of the game an inning later. Three errors in two plays by Marwin Gonzalez, followed by a walk loaded the bases with no outs. Leverton recorded two consecutive strikeouts before Grullon double to over the head of Tony Campana in left that plated two. It could have score three, however, Gonzalez relay throw to Reed was in time to cut down Devin Thomas at the plate.

Daytona tied the game at three in the fifth. Nathan Samson reached on a throwing error by the shortstop Perez, advanced to second on a Jake Opitz single and scored a batter later when third baseman Josh Vitters singled to left. The single by Opitz extended his hitting streak to ten games.

For the second consecutive game, Lakeland got the win in walk off fashion. Catcher Julio Rodriguez began the frame with a bloop single, advanced to second on a sac bunt and to third on a single that ricocheted off pitcher Billy Muldowney. Laster then ended the game with a deep sac fly to the right field corner that easily scored Rodriguez.

Game two saw Daytona grab an early lead as well. Left fielder Tony Campana reached on a bloop single, moved to second on a wild pitch, and stole third. The next batter, Samson, grounded out to short, but it plated Campana for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

That lead did not last long, as the Flying Tigers responded with two of their own in the first. Ryan Searle (7-10) put third baseman Joe Tucker on with a walk and allowed right fielder Jeramy Laster aboard with a single. Two batters later Devin Thomas ripped a double over centerfielder Kevin Soto that cleared the bases and put Lakeland up 2-0.

The Cubs got their first big inning of the series in the top of the third inning. Daytona sent ten batters to the plate and scored five runs when all was said and done. Campana got it started with a bunt single. Nathan Samson then grounded one to short that was mishandled by Hernan Perez to put runners at first and second for Jake Opitz. The Nebraska product roped a double into the gap to score campana. The base hit for Opitz gave him a season-high eleven-game hitting streak

Vitters kept the inning rolling along with a RBI-single to left field. After a strike out by Charles Furbush, Kevin Soto ripped one to left to make it a 4-2 Cubs lead. The biggest blow came from catcher Luis Flores. The Texas-native hammered a double to the wall to bring in two more and put the Cubs lead at four.

Lakeland had an answer in the bottom half of the third inning as they tied it up with four runs off of Cubs starter Ryan Searle. Devin Thomas came up with the bases loaded and cleared them with a double to the gap in left-center. The Lakeland first baseman then scored on a sac fly by Justin Henry.

The scoring continued in the top of the fourth inning as Daytona regained the lead. Back-to-back walks followed by a Marwin Gonzalez single gave the Cubs a 7-6 advantage.

Daytona tacked on three more runs in the top of the fifth inning off of Lakeland reliever Richard Zumaya. Jonathan Wyatt, Nathan Samson, and Tony Campana each drove in a run apiece.

The Daytona Cubs will wrap up the 2009 season with a three-game series in Clearwater against the Threshers. Friday’s game will begin at 7:00 p.m. with righty Rafael Dolis scheduled to get the start. Every hit and pitch can be heard on AM1340 WROD and at www.daytonacubs.com.