FSL1 Charlotte Stone Crabs

Flores leads South to 6-3 victory

Published on June 16, 2012 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Charlotte Stone Crabs News Release


PORT CHARLOTTE -- The South Division All Stars rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the late innings to defeat their North Division rivals 6-3 in the 51st annual Florida State League All Star game.

The South put up three runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth, capped by a two-run single from All Star Game MVP Wilmer Flores before a crowd of 5,678 on Saturday at Charlotte Sports Park.

Flores, the No. 10 prospect in the Mets organization according to Baseball America, started the game at third base and remained there for its entirety. He finished 3-for-4 with three RBI's, a walk, and a run scored to earn MVP honors.

The Charlotte Stone Crabs own C.J. Riefenhauser got the nod as the starting pitcher for the South Division, and struck out the first two batters he faced before issuing a two-out walk. The lefty induced a groundout off the bat of FSL RBI-leader Greg Rohan to end the scoreless first.

For the North Division, Austin Kirk of the Daytona Cubs received the starting honor, and set down the top of the South lineup in order in his only inning of work.

The North broke open the scoring in the second, when Dunedin's Jon Talley belted a 1-1 offering from Jupiter's Raudel Lazo over the right field wall. Talley was one of seven All Stars representing the first-half FSL North champion Blue Jays.

With two down in the fourth it was Talley again with a solo shot out to right-center off the Mets' Corey Mazzoni that gave the North a 2-0 lead.

The North tacked on another when they strung together three straight two-out hits off the Hammerheads' Michael Brady in the fifth. After Kevin Nolan and Cody Asche each singled, Daytona's Nelson Perez hit a ground-rule double to left that plated Nolan.

The South left seven men on base through the first six innings, before a wild seventh allowed them to pull even.

Things began to unravel for the North in the seventh inning, when Tampa Yankees reliever Mark Montgomery issued a one-out walk to Daniel Santana. That quickly turned into a rally when Santana stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw. Flores followed with a single up the middle to push across Santana with the South's first run.

After a walk to Starlin Rodriguez, Montgomery was replaced on the mound by the Threshers' Tyler Knigge. The wild inning continued as Knigge walked the first two batters he faced, including Charlotte's Mikie Mahtook with the bases loaded to make it a one-run game. A wild pitch during Oswaldo Arcia's at-bat then allowed Rodriguez to cross with the tying run.

J.T. Realmuto reached on an error by the third baseman Asche to open the bottom of the eighth, and immediately moved to third on a throwing error from Perez in left on the toss back in. Following a walk to Richard Lucas, Lakeland flame thrower Bruce Rondon entered the game in relief and induced a groundball off the bat of Santana that allowed Realmuto to score the go-ahead run. That gave the South its first lead of the evening, 4-3.

After a walk to Mike O'Neill, Flores delivered some insurance with a two-run single to right that extended the South Division's lead to 6-3.

Stone Crabs closer Chris Rearick came in to shut the door in the ninth. Rearick, who has posted 13 saves this season for Charlotte, allowed a one-out single but struck out the side to preserve the victory for the South.

Two other Stone Crabs received the honor of representing the South Division in the starting lineup. Derek Dietrich started the game at second and finished 0-for-3, while Mahtook got the nod in centerfield and turned in a 1-for-3 performance, including a bases-loaded walk that pushed home the second run of the ballgame for the South.

Representing Fort Myers, Ricky Bowen earned the victory with a scoreless inning of relief for the South. Bowen entered the game with the two sides knotted at three in the eighth and set the North down in order.

Knigge suffered the loss, as he was charged with two runs - one earned - while walking three in just 1/3 inning of relief.

The Stone Crabs will be back in action at Charlotte Sports Park on Tuesday for the final series of the first half. Charlotte will host Palm Beach for three, with first pitch for each of those contests scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

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Florida State League Stories from June 16, 2012


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