PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (April 7, 2018) - The Charlotte Stone Crabs clubbed three home runs to beat the Fort Myers Miracle 8-4 in the team's home opener Saturday night at Charlotte Sports Park. Josh Lowe's two-run shot to center in the bottom of the fifth proved to be the difference.
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (April 7, 2018) - The Charlotte Stone Crabs clubbed three home runs to beat the Fort Myers Miracle 8-4 in the team's home opener Saturday night at Charlotte Sports Park.
Josh Lowe's two-run shot to center in the bottom of the fifth proved to be the difference. With Charlotte (1-2) trailing 4-3, Rene Pinto led off the inning with a single to right field. After the next two batters struck out against Miracle (2-1) reliever Max Cordy, Lowe crushed a two-run home run to center to give the Stone Crabs a 5-4 lead.
Tristan Gray provided a run of insurance with a solo home run off the batters' eye in the sixth.
Still leading 6-4 in the bottom of the seventh, Lowe lined a double to left with two outs. After he advanced to third on a wild pitch, Robbie Tenerowicz drove him in on an infield single to make the score 7-4. After Tenerowicz stole second, Nate Lowe singled to center to make it 8-4.
Stone Crabs reliever Curtis Taylor (1-0) got the win after working two innings of relief. Charlotte starter Kenny Rosenberg worked four-plus innings, surrendering three runs on five hits while striking out five.
The Stone Crabs bats didn't waste any time getting on the board Saturday. In a scoreless game in the bottom of the first, Lucius Fox singled before Tenerowicz promptly drove him home with a two-run homer to left.
After Fort Myers added a run in the top of the fourth, Tenerowicz drew a walk to start the bottom of the frame. Nate Lowe singled him to third before Kevin Padlo drove in Tenerowicz with a sacrifice fly to right to make it 3-1.
The Stone Crabs will look to earn a series split with Fort Myers on Sunday at 12:35 p.m. Mikey York will make his High-A debut for Charlotte against Brady Anderson of the Miracle. Coverage begins at 12:20 p.m. on the Stone Crabs Baseball Network.
