PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (July 13, 2017) - The Fort Myers Miracle (15-4) swept the Charlotte Stone Crabs (8-10) in a doubleheader on Thursday night to claim their seventh and eighth consecutive victories. A three-run sixth in Game One (4-3 win) provided the comeback win and a five-run fourth in game two
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (July 13, 2017) - The Fort Myers Miracle (15-4) swept the Charlotte Stone Crabs (8-10) in a doubleheader on Thursday night to claim their seventh and eighth consecutive victories. A three-run sixth in Game One (4-3 win) provided the comeback win and a five-run fourth in game two (5-3 win) was enough to clinch the sweep.
Game One: The Stone Crabs struck first with three runs in the bottom of the third against LHP Lewis Thorpe. A two-RBI double by Jake Cronenworth was followed up by a Brandon Lowe RBI-single. Charlotte then loaded the bases with two outs in the inning, but Thorpe induced a groundout of David Olmedo-Barrera to end the threat.
Fort Myers grabbed one back in the top of the fourth when Brandon Lopez doubled in Tanner English. Two innings later, the Miracle finally broke through after starter RHP Burch Smith was relieved by RHP Spencer Jones. English and Lopez led off the sixth with singles. Jones was lifted for RHP Drew Smith (L, 1-2), and Mitchell Kranson delivered the big knock, a two-run double to right center to tie the game. Two batters later, Jaylin Davis bounced a ball over Smith's head that snuck through the infield to score Kranson and give the Miracle a 4-3 lead.
In his FSL debut, LHP Alex Robinson (W, 1-0) stuck out the side while reaching 98 on the radar gun. The sixth inning was handled by RHP Keaton Steele (H, 1), and LHP Sam Clay (Sv, 6) shut the door in the ninth.
Game Two: RHP Brady Anderson (W, 4-4) was an out away from a scoreless start but finished his necessary five innings to earn the win. He outdueled LHP Brock Burke (L, 0-3) and was aided by his offense to the tune of five runs in the top of the fourth.
After Kranson drew a walk and Zander Wiel reached on a Kevin Padlo error, Jaylin Davis started the scoring with a triple that snuck down the first base line scoring both runners. Shane Kennedy brought in Davis with a sac fly to right. After back-to-back Brian Navarreto and Sean Miller singles, English delivered what turned out to be the put-away hit, a carbon copy of Davis' triple to score two more runs and give Fort Myers a 5-0 lead.
Anderson allowed three runs in the fifth, but got through the frame to turn it over to the bullpen. LHP Andrew Vasquez (Sv, 2) saw runners at first and second in the sixth, but struck out the side to end the threat. The ninth was a smooth 1-2-3 frame which contained two more K's for Vasquez, including one of Cronenworth to seal the victory.
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