Bats Explode, Wood Dominates in Shutout Victory

JUPITER, FL - Well, that's one way to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss.

Hunter Wood (1-0) pitched six tremendous innings and the Stone Crabs offense mashed its way to an eight-run eighth as Charlotte polished off Palm Beach 10-0 on Friday night at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter.

With a 2-0 lead in the eighth inning, the previously mild-mannered Crabs bats broke out in fashion. Charlotte brought 13 hitters to the plate in the frame, which featured RBIs from Justin Williams, Grant Kay, Cade Gotta, Riley Unroe, Thomas Milone, and Mac James, who had a bases-clearing double to blow the game open midway through the inning. Palm Beach suffered through three pitchers in the inning, which featured six hits and three walks by Stone Crabs hitters.

2013 Rays third-round pick Thomas Milone exemplified the night for the Stone Crabs, hitting a two-run home run in the third off Cardinals starter Austin Gomber (0-1) and finishing the night 2-for-5 with a run scored and three RBI. Milone was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Thursday night's 5-3 late-inning loss.

Despite the final score, the game was actually close most of the way. Milone's homer was all the help Wood had until after he left the game, but it was all the help he'd need. The right-hander was straight up nasty through his six innings of work, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out five. Wood, who has struck out more than a batter an inning across his four-year minor league career, provides a stellar 1-2 punch at the top of the Stone Crab rotation behind ace Brett Honeywell, who allowed just one run over six on Thursday.

Knuckleballer Jeff Howell made his Stone Crabs debut in relief, and the eleven-year veteran was terrific, allowing no hits and walking just two in two shutout innings. Howell, a converted catcher who moved to the mound just last year at age 32, struck out three of the eight batters he saw with his deceptive knuckler. Edwin Fierro closed out the ballgame with a perfect ninth.

Opening Day at Charlotte Sports Park is Saturday night, as the series moves from Jupiter to Port Charlotte. Tickets are available at (941) 206-HITS, online at stonecrabsbaseball.com, and at the Charlotte Sports Park box office. Gates open at 3 pm, offering fans a unique opportunity to see the Crabs take batting practice, along with games and entertainment all afternoon. If you can't make it to the game, live audio will be provided at stonecrabsbaseball.com and on the MiLB First Pitch app.