Threshers Hang On for 8-7 Win

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Clearwater Threshers bounded out to an early 8-0 lead on Wednesday, and fought off a late Miracle surge to best Fort Myers by an 8-7 final at Hammond Stadium.

Miguel Nunez (5-7) turned in a terrific outing, holding the Miracle to only one hit in six shutout innings, while Chris Serritella fell a triple short of the cycle in a three-hit, three-RBI performance.

Cody Forsythe was called upon to stop the bleeding for the second consecutive night.

The lefty entered in the eighth, with the Threshers up 8-6 and two men on with just one out. Forsythe got Aderling Mejia to fly out, but Travis Harrison singled up the middle to plate a run and cut the Clearwater lead down to just one.

After inducing a strikeout to end the eighth, Forsythe came back out for the final frame in search of his third save. Fort Myers managed to put the tying run in scoring position after a single and walk came with one out, but Forsythe struck out Jairo Rodriguez and induced a weak come-backer off the bat of Tyler Grimes to end the ballgame.

Clearwater (17-22) opened up a large lead early on.

The first five men reached base to begin the second inning, with four singles punctuated by a Roman Quinn two-run double. Angelo Mora and J.P. Crawford each added a sac fly to cap off a five-run frame.

Harold Martinez led off the third inning with his second single of the day, and Art Charles followed by working a walk. With one down, Serritella launched a home run to right, his third in a Threshers' uniform this year, to boost Clearwater to an 8-0 advantage.

Nunez ensured it stayed that way through his six innings of work.

He walked three - two of which came in the first inning - but did not allow a hit until the fourth. Adam Brett Walker II singled to start that inning, and that would be the only hit Nunez permitted on the night.

The Miracle (24-14) made things interesting late, posting a five-spot against Ramon Oviedo in the seventh and another two off Ethan Stewart in the eighth, but it was the Threshers who perservered to take a 2-1 advantage in the series.

Clearwater will try to take the four-game set from Fort Myers as the series concludes on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. The call can be heard live beginning at 6:50 p.m. on the Threshers' broadcast network.