FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Fort Myers Miracle used a 12 hit attack to open the 2019 season with an 11-3 win over the Charlotte Stone Crabs on Thursday night at Hammond Stadium. After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the second, the Miracle went to work in the bottom
FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Fort Myers Miracle used a 12 hit attack to open the 2019 season with an 11-3 win over the Charlotte Stone Crabs on Thursday night at Hammond Stadium.
After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the second, the Miracle went to work in the bottom of the frame with Lewin Diaz and Ben Rortvedt collecting two-out RBI hits to give the Miracle their first lead of the season.
The game remained 2-1 until an Akil Baddoo home run in the fifth extended the lead to 3-1.
Vidal Brujan tied the game at three in the sixth with a two-run double. The Stone Crab second baseman collected four hits.
Ryan Jeffers broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth with a run scoring double. Later in the frame, Royce Lewis collected his first two RBI of the year with a single to left. Lewis fouled off four straight pitches before the hit.
The Miracle tacked on a run in the seventh on a Rortvedt single before adding three more runs in the eighth to finish the scoring. Rortvedt, Lewis, and Jeffers each drove in two runs while Diaz knocked in three.
Anthony Vizcaya (1-0), making his first affiliated ball appearance since 2014, earned the win. The right-hander allowed two runs in 1.2 innings.
Bryan Sammons started for the Miracle and lasted 4.1 innings. The southpaw allowed 1 unearned run while scattering seven hits.
Tanner Dodson (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing three runs on five hits in an inning of work.
The brief two-game season opening series concludes Friday night in Fort Myers. Jhoan Duran, who was acquired as part of the Eduardo Escobar trade last season, makes his Miracle debut. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
