'Tees drop finale to Miracle in extras, 3-2

VIERA, Fla. - The opportunity presented itself to the Brevard County Manatees for the team's ninth walk-off win of the season, but they just couldn't push the winning run across and fell 3-2 to the Fort Myers Miracle in 11 innings on Wednesday night at Space Coast Stadium.

Kennys Vargas tied the game with a solo home run off the base of the right field foul pole in the top of the ninth of off Tommy Toledo and then an unearned run ultimately decided the game in the eleventh.

Jhon Goncalves smacked a ball over the head of Ben McMahan in left field with two outs, a play on which McMahan was charged with an error. Michael Kvasnicka provided the go-ahead single off of Santo Manzanillo.

Brevard County (15-15 second half, 52-45 overall) had opportunities to win the game with runners on second and third in the ninth, then with a two-out walk in the tenth and a one-out error in the eleventh that allowed Yadiel Rivera to reach.

All three runs before Vargas' ninth-inning homer came in the first inning, with both starting pitchers settling in for quality starts despite each taking no-decisions.

D.J. Hicks had an RBI double to score Aderling Mejia, who had reached on a walk in the top of the first inning, to give the Miracle (16-15, 61-37) a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the frame, Cameron Garfield poked a two-run single to plate D'Vontrey Richardson and Nick Ramirez. Both Richardson and Ramirez had two hits each.

Tyler Cravy (3-1, 2.75 ERA) turned in his second consecutive quality start, going seven innings for his longest outing of the season. The righty surrendered just one run and has allowed more than one run in just one of his four starts. Cravy scattered six hits and walked four with five strikeouts on the night.

Since June 11, Cravy has a 1.41 ERA covering 35 innings over nine appearances.

Matt Tomshaw matched Cravy's seven frames as he held Brevard to four hits. He walked only one, struck out six and was charged with the two first-inning runs.

The current eight-game homestand at Space Coast Stadium continues on Thursday night at 6:35 p.m., with the Bradenton Marauders coming to Viera for a four-game set. Chad Pierce (5-3, 3.49) will start for the Manatees against Bradenton's Adrian Sampson (3-6, 6.04) in the series opener.