Miracle bust out broom and sweep Palm Beach
Navarreto picks up three hits and drives in two
FORT MYERS, Fla. (July 27, 2016) - The Fort Myers Miracle swept the Palm Beach Cardinals for the third time this season on Wednesday night after a 7-3 victory in the series finale at Hammond Stadium.
Palm Beach struck in the second inning after loading the bases with no outs. Miracle starter Randy LeBlanc gave up a lead-off single to Edmundo Sosa to start the frame. LeBlanc (4-4) then walked Oscar Mercado and struck Orlando Olivera with a breaking ball. Steve Bean then opened the scoring with a deep fly ball to left field that was caught by Trey Vavra. Sosa tagged and scored and Bean received credit for an RBI and sac fly. Mercado then bolted for third and stole the bag to put runners at corners with Andrew Sohn at the plate. Sohn rolled into a force play to short, but beat out the double play attempt and Mercado scored, 2-0.
The Miracle retaliated in the bottom of the third and sent eight to the plate in a three-run frame. With one out, Brian Navarreto ignited the rally with a base hit through the left side. Daniel Kihle followed with a smoked double into center field off Cardinals starter Johnny Walter. With T.J. White at the plate, Walter (1-3) threw a wild pitch that plated Navarreto from third and pushed Kihle up a base. White then earned a walk. With runners on the corners, Nick Gordon flared an RBI hit down the left field line to tie the game.
Trey Vavra continued the inning by picking up a walk to load the bases. LaMonte Wade then put the Miracle on top with a sacrifice fly that scored white from third, 3-2.
In the sixth, the Miracle expanded the lead to four with a second three-run outburst. Wade started the inning with a double into the left field corner off Walter. After Chris Paul grounded out to short, Joe Maloney was hit by a pitch and Alex Perez singled to load the bases. Walter exited the game and Blake McKnight entered from the Cardinals' pen. Navarreto greeted McKnight by smacking 2-0 pitch up the middle for a two-run single. Kihle followed with a sacrifice fly to push the Miracle advantage to 6-2.
LeBlanc notched a quality start for the Miracle after giving up just two runs on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
In the seventh, Luke Westphal took over on the mound for Fort Myers and allowed Palm Beach to load the bases with help of an error and two walks. After Westphal struck out Sohn, Vaughn Bryan grounded short and a run scored, 6-3.
Fort Myers added a run in the seventh when Vavra scored on a wild pitch from McKnight.
The Miracle (53-50, 19-15) have a scheduled off-day on Thursday, but begin a four-game series with the FSL North Division leading Clearwater Threshers on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. Fernando Romero (3-1) will start the series opener for the Miracle while Drew Anderson (1-0) toes the rubber for the Threshers. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Miracle baseball cap courtesy of Earth Elements Landscape Supply and Y100. For tickets, call the Miracle offices at (239) 768-4210 or order online at www.miraclebaseball.com.
Palm Beach struck in the second inning after loading the bases with no outs. Miracle starter Randy LeBlanc gave up a lead-off single to Edmundo Sosa to start the frame. LeBlanc (4-4) then walked Oscar Mercado and struck Orlando Olivera with a breaking ball. Steve Bean then opened the scoring with a deep fly ball to left field that was caught by Trey Vavra. Sosa tagged and scored and Bean received credit for an RBI and sac fly. Mercado then bolted for third and stole the bag to put runners at corners with Andrew Sohn at the plate. Sohn rolled into a force play to short, but beat out the double play attempt and Mercado scored, 2-0.
The Miracle retaliated in the bottom of the third and sent eight to the plate in a three-run frame. With one out, Brian Navarreto ignited the rally with a base hit through the left side. Daniel Kihle followed with a smoked double into center field off Cardinals starter Johnny Walter. With T.J. White at the plate, Walter (1-3) threw a wild pitch that plated Navarreto from third and pushed Kihle up a base. White then earned a walk. With runners on the corners, Nick Gordon flared an RBI hit down the left field line to tie the game.
Trey Vavra continued the inning by picking up a walk to load the bases. LaMonte Wade then put the Miracle on top with a sacrifice fly that scored white from third, 3-2.
In the sixth, the Miracle expanded the lead to four with a second three-run outburst. Wade started the inning with a double into the left field corner off Walter. After Chris Paul grounded out to short, Joe Maloney was hit by a pitch and Alex Perez singled to load the bases. Walter exited the game and Blake McKnight entered from the Cardinals' pen. Navarreto greeted McKnight by smacking 2-0 pitch up the middle for a two-run single. Kihle followed with a sacrifice fly to push the Miracle advantage to 6-2.
LeBlanc notched a quality start for the Miracle after giving up just two runs on five hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
In the seventh, Luke Westphal took over on the mound for Fort Myers and allowed Palm Beach to load the bases with help of an error and two walks. After Westphal struck out Sohn, Vaughn Bryan grounded short and a run scored, 6-3.
Fort Myers added a run in the seventh when Vavra scored on a wild pitch from McKnight.
The Miracle (53-50, 19-15) have a scheduled off-day on Thursday, but begin a four-game series with the FSL North Division leading Clearwater Threshers on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. Fernando Romero (3-1) will start the series opener for the Miracle while Drew Anderson (1-0) toes the rubber for the Threshers. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Miracle baseball cap courtesy of Earth Elements Landscape Supply and Y100. For tickets, call the Miracle offices at (239) 768-4210 or order online at www.miraclebaseball.com.