TAMPA, Fla. - The Clearwater Threshers used a four-run fifth inning on Monday to overtake the Tampa Yankees, securing a 6-2 victory in the series opener at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Clearwater (17-8) sports the best record in the Florida State League, while Tampa (15-10) entered the day just one game back. Monday was the first of six-straight face-offs between the teams with the top records in the FSL through the first month of play.

Mitch Walding collected three hits and two runs batted in, putting him in a tie with Kyle Martin for the most RBI in the league with 21. Zach Green knocked in three with a bases-clearing triple, as he pulled into a three-way tie for the fourth-most RBIs in the league.

Michael Mariot started on the hill, making his second appearance in a rehab assignment, and gave Clearwater one scoreless inning. He allowed a one-out walk to Mark Payton, but Payton was caught stealing as Billy Fleming struck out to end the inning.

Will Morris (2-1) earned the win in relief, delivering a strong 5.2 innings on his 23rd birthday.

Morris limited the Yankees to two runs on seven hits and a pair of walks, collecting three strikeouts in his longest outing of the season.

The Threshers took advantage of a Jorge Mateo error at shortstop to grab the game's first run in the second inning.

With Walding at first, Green reached on Mateo's miscue. Following a fielder's choice for the second out, Gabriel Lino walked to fill the bases, and Derek Campbell delivered a single up the middle for his first hit and RBI of the season.

After the Yankees responded with a run in the bottom half, Clearwater broke the one-all tie in the fifth.

Campbell reached on a second Mateo error to start the inning, and with one out Cord Sandberg walked. Carlos Tocci reached on an infield hit to load the bases, and after reliever Eric Ruth got a big strikeout of Martin, Walding was hit by a pitch to push home the go-ahead run.

Green then gave the Threshers some cushion, driving a gapper to right-center for a bases-clearing double to make it 5-1.

Up 5-2 in the ninth, and with Tocci aboard after he was hit by a pitch, Walding rocketed a liner through the right-centerfield alleyway for a triple to score Tocci for the Threshers' sixth run.

Ulises Joaquin and Jesen Therrien teamed up for 2.1 hitless innings in relief, and each collected two strikeouts.

The series swings over to Bright House Field on Tuesday for Dollar Tuesday presented by Regions Bank, with first pitch at 7 p.m. Thomas Eshelman (1-1) will take the hill against Brody Koerner (1-0), and the game can be heard live on the Threshers Broadcast Network starting at 6:45 p.m.