FSL1 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels

Miracle Take Two in a Daytona Double Dip

Published on June 12, 2013 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels News Release


DAYTONA, Fla. (June 12, 2013) - The Fort Myers Miracle beat the Daytona Cubs, 6-3, in game one and, 5-4, in game two to sweep a doubleheader on Wednesday evening at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

In game one, the Miracle fell behind 2-0. In the sixth, the Miracle sent nine hitters to the plate and scored five runs on four hits. The first five batters of the inning reached base on Cubs starter Ben Wells. After a walk and an error put two on, Mike Kvasnicka singled to load the bases with nobody out.

Falling behind in the count, 0-2, Jhonathan Goncalves roped a double into left field to plate two and tie the game. Stephen Wickens then followed with a second two-run double, kicking up chalk down the third base line on a high chopper into the corner that gave the Miracle a 4-2 lead.

Fort Myers added an insurance run in the sixth when Aderling Mejia singled in a run. Mejia finished the first game 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI.

Jason Wheeler started for the Miracle. Wheeler (6-1) went five innings allowing two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and five walks.

Zack Jones pitched recorded the final out of the sixth and a scoreless seventh, fanning three, to earn his seventh save.

Wells (4-5) started for the Cubs and lasted just 3.2 innings while giving up five runs, three earned, on five hits.

In game two, Wickens broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning with his first home run of the season. With a runner aboard and two outs, Wickens launched a 1-0 pitch from Cubs starter Matt Loosen over the wall in left to put the Miracle on top, 2-0.

Daytona cut Fort Myers lead down to a run in the fifth when Tim Saunders drove in John Andreoli for an RBI single off Miracle reliever Chad Rodgers.

The Miracle answered back in the top of the sixth with three runs. Facing Cubs reliever Austin Reed, the Miracle picked up an RBI groundout from Jairo Rodriguez, an run-scoring double from Bryan Haar and an RBI single off the bat of Mejia.

Leading 5-2 after the Cubs pushed across a run, the Miracle turned to reliever Corey Williams for the final two outs of the sixth. Williams remained on the hill in the seventh and allowed a one out, two-run homer from Zeke DeVoss that brought the Cubs to a one run deficit. Williams rallied to get both Taylor Davis and Andreoli on ground outs to end the game for his ninth save.

The win went to Rodgers (4-1) and the loss to Loosen (0-2).

Over 14 innings of the doubleheader, the Miracle pitching staff totaled 19 walks, nine in game one and 10 in game two. The previous team-high this season was six. Daytona stranded 22 base runners over the two games.

The Miracle (43-20) will try to win the series with the Cubs (32-30) on Thursday evening with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. Fans can listen to every pitch on www.miraclebaseball.com and Fox Sports Radio 1350 AM with the "Voice of Miracle" Brice Zimmerman. The Square 1 Burgers & Bar pregame show begins at 6:45 p.m.

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Florida State League Stories from June 12, 2013


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