In the 2026 draft the Jays spent most of their cash on Cole Carlon and Will Brick. That necessitated them taking a number of senior players in the middle rounds who would sign for verry little. One of them was Jake Bennett, a senior who signed for $1,000. Bennett's scouting report said he was a big guy who had big power but was essentially a DH. Well Bennett did DH for Dunedin on Thursday and he did have big power, hitting two home runs, a grand slam and a two run home run. They were the first home runs of his pro career. However that was not enough to get Dunedin the win. Dunedin lost because they gave up eleven runs. Buffalo gave up ten and New Hampshire five and all three of them lost. Vancouver were the only winners as they scored 14.

Buffalo 3 Worcester 10

New Hampshire 1 Somerset 5

Tri-City 4 Vancouver 14

Tampa 11 Dunedin 7

Three Stars

Third Star - Ty Southisene

Second Star - Eric Snow

First Star - Jake Bennett

Boxes

NOTES

The newish starter for Buffalo was Josh Stephen who suffered through five innings, allowing eight runs. It was a night to forget. Chad Dallas followed and the rampant Red Sox scored a pair off him in one inning.

Meanwhile the Bisons were held to one run through eight innings. CJ Stubbs hit a two run home run in the ninth. Stubbs and Josh Kasevich had two hits each.

Austin Cates was the NH starter. He cruised through the first inning but lost the zone to start the second. A pair of walks was followed by a single and that led to a grand slam home run. The third and fourth were again no problem but a lead off double in the fifth led to the Sox fifth run. Cates was finished after that, he did strike out six.

NH had six hits. Eric Snow had three of them including his first home run in AA. Alexis Hernandez added two hits.

Vancouver trailed 4-3 into the seventh inning but they scored five runs in the seventh and six more in the eighth for a two touchdown total. They had eleven hits but they also were helped by eleven walks and three errors. Seven of the 14 runs came from two home runs. Maddox Latta hit a three run home run in the seventh and newly promoted Max Viera hit a grand slam in the eighth. That grand slam came off one of Tri-City 's infielders who was called on to pitch. Almost all of the C's hitters recorded at least one hit with Ty Southisene, Ryan Sprock and Bryce Chance hitting two.

Dylan Watts started and he went two innings. Silvano Hechavarria followed and he was charged with Tri-City's four runs in four innings.

Tampa took it to Dunedin scoring eleven runs by the seventh inning. Carson Ligon started and continue to struggle, he didn't get out of the second inning. Giacomo Taschin followed and Tampa scored six off him in 3.2 innings.

Dunedin did score four runs in the third inning when Jake Bennett hit his first home run and it was one to remember, a grand slam. Bennett hit another, a two run home run, in the eighth inning. Aldo Gaxiola also had two hits.