Hammerheads hold on for 3-2 win over Mets
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (August 29, 2024) – The Jupiter Hammerheads held off the St. Lucie Mets for 3-2 win on Thursday night at Clover Park. Jupiter pitchers Keyner Benitez, Colin Lowe and Gabe Bierman combined to limit the Mets to five hits and 2 for 8 with runners in
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (August 29, 2024) – The Jupiter Hammerheads held off the St. Lucie Mets for 3-2 win on Thursday night at Clover Park.
Jupiter pitchers Keyner Benitez, Colin Lowe and Gabe Bierman combined to limit the Mets to five hits and 2 for 8 with runners in scoring position.
Carson Benge went 3 for 4 with two RBI singles for St. Lucie. It was his second consecutive three-hit game.
Benge pushed a run-scoring single into left field with two outs in the bottom of the seventh against Lowe to cut the Jupiter lead to 3-2. Benge would be the Mets last base runner. Lowe recovered to strike out Corey Collins to strand two. Lowe pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning and Gabe Bierman pitched a perfect ninth for the save.
Mets starter Franklin Gomez pitched well in the loss. He logged 4.0 innings and gave up two runs on four hits. Gomez walked two and struck out four.
Jacob Jenkins-Cowart hit a two-out RBI single in the first inning for a 1-0 Hammerheads advantage.
Jesus Hernandez belted a long RBI double in the third inning to make it 2-0.
Benge responded with a RBI single against Benitez in the bottom of the third to get the Mets on the board.
Mets reliever Brett Banks struck out the first two batters of the seventh inning but walked Victor Ortega and threw a wild pitch that moved Ortega to second base. Connor Caskenette then singled to bring home Ortega for a 3-1 lead.
Prior to the Ortega walk, Gomez, Brendan Girton, Will Watson and Banks retired 12 batters in a row. In a nine-batter span from the fourth inning into the seventh inning the four Mets pitchers struck out eight.
Girton (10th round/Oklahoma) and Watson (7th Round/USC) made their pro debuts. Girton struck out the side on 12 pitches in the fifth inning. Watson pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning with two strikeouts.
A.J. Ewing went 1 for 5 with two runs and extended his hitting streak to nine games.
Collins (6th Round/Georgia) was 1 for 3. He singled in the sixth inning for his first professional hit.
Lowe was credited with the win. He gave up one run in 3.2 innings.
The Mets (20-35, 42-79) and Hammerheads (26-29, 62-59) play the fourth game of their series at Clover Park on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. Kids can run the bases after the game!