FSL1 Charlotte Stone Crabs

Dingers Fly, Crabs Crush Mets

Published on April 29, 2016 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Charlotte Stone Crabs News Release


PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - Michael Johns has insisted all month that this team can hit. And on Thursday night, the Charlotte Stone Crabs proved him very, very right.

The Stone Crabs launched four home runs and scored in six of eight innings, demolishing the St. Lucie Mets 10-3 on the season's first Thirsty Thursday at Charlotte Sports Park.

Offensive sparks flew from the get-go for the Crabs. Grant Kay and Alec Sole hit back-to-back singles with one out in the first, and Mac James followed with a base-hit to center to score Kay. Two batters later, Bralin Jackson laid down an absolutely perfect drag bunt for Charlotte's third successful safety squeeze of the year, scoring Sole to make it 2-0 Crabs.

The Mets cashed in their lone run against Stone Crabs starter Brent Honeywell (2-0) in the second, as a Jhoan Urena groundout scored Kevin Taylor from third, but the Stone Crabs bit right back. Cade Gotta led off the bottom half of the inning with a base hit, and Pat Blair tripled him in on a blast to right-center. Blair scored on a Riley Unroe single one batter later, leaving the score 4-1 Stone Crabs.

Charlotte blew it open in the third. Thomas Milone singled to the infield with one out, and moved to second on a Jackson groundout. Cristian Toribio walloped a triple to right, scoring Milone, and then Gotta obliterated a ball over the berm in left and all the way to the chain link fence at the stadium's edge for a massive two-run shot to make it 7-1. Mets starter Corey Oswalt (1-1) allowed all seven runs on ten hits across four innings.

Gotta's home run was merely the first of several on the night. Bralin Jackson took the first pitch of reliever Jimmy Duff's night all the way to the Baseball Boardwalk in left, crushing it over the Mets bullpen. Sole, who is 14-for-26 this year against the Mets with a multi-hit effort in all six games in which he's faced St. Lucie, muscled one out over right-center in the seventh, and Blair capped a brilliant night with a solo shot into the Crabs bullpen in the eighth.

Honeywell was solid, though he didn't make it out of the sixth for the first time this year. The dominant ace still allowed just one run on five hits through five-and-two-thirds, walking two and striking out five. In 30.1 IP this season, Honeywell has allowed just 20 hits and four walks while striking out 31. His ERA is 0.89.

The Stone Crabs welcome the Fort Myers Miracle to town for a three-game series this weekend, starting tomorrow night at 6:35. RHP Hunter Wood (1-1, 1.59), who one-hit the Miracle over seven innings at Hammond Stadium last weekend, toes the rubber for the Stone Crabs against Fort Myers RHP Keaton Steele (0-2, 3.24). For tickets, visit stonecrabsbaseball.com, call 941-206-HITS, or stop by the FCB Box Office anytime from 10 a.m. through the game.

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Florida State League Stories from April 29, 2016


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