FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 20, 2019) - The Charlotte Stone Crabs plated seven runs in the first two innings Saturday, claiming the series with a 7-2 victory over the Fort Myers Miracle at Hammond Stadium.The Stone Crabs (6-11) didn't waste any time getting the offense going against Miracle starter Charlie
FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 20, 2019) - The Charlotte Stone Crabs plated seven runs in the first two innings Saturday, claiming the series with a 7-2 victory over the Fort Myers Miracle at Hammond Stadium.
The Stone Crabs (6-11) didn't waste any time getting the offense going against Miracle starter Charlie Barnes (1-2). Barnes walked the first two batters before Vidal Brujan was picked off second. Barnes then walked Tyler Frank and Carl Chester to load the bases with nobody out. The next batter was Ronaldo Hernandez , who rolled a single into left center to give Charlotte a 2-0 lead. Jim Haley followed with an RBI single to left to make it 3-0.
Still up three in the top of the second, Garrett Whitley smacked a double to the wall in center before Zac Law reached on an infield single. Seaver Whalen followed with an infield single of his own to load the bases with nobody out. Brujan then lined a single to right to score Whitley and make it 4-0. The next batter was Zach Rutherford , who flew out to deep left to plate Law and extend the Crabs lead to 5-0. After another walk, Hernandez lofted a two-run single to center to cap the rally at 7-0.
The Miracle plated a run in the fourth on a Lewin Diaz single, but Stone Crabs starter Tommy Romero (1-0) limited the damage all evening. The Charlotte right-hander worked around eight hits, limiting the Miracle to one run over five innings. He struck out four en route to his first High-A win.
Mikey York worked two scoreless innings before Jhonleider Salinas delivered a 1-2-3 eighth for Charlotte.
The Miracle added another run in the ninth on a Ryan Costello sacrifice fly, but Simon Rosenblum-Larson stranded three Fort Myers runners to seal the win.
Winners in three of their last four, the Stone Crabs will begin a three-game series with the Tampa Tarpons (6-11) at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Brian Shaffer (0-0, 1.69) makes his first start of the year for Charlotte, against Frank German (0-1, 4.15) of the Tarpons. Coverage starts at 6:15 p.m. on the Stone Crabs Baseball Network.
