FSL1 Charlotte Stone Crabs

Seven and Seven, and Keep 'em Coming

Published on August 1, 2014 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Charlotte Stone Crabs News Release


PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - There could be something in the water in Port Charlotte. Whatever it is, the Stone Crabs are drinking it and rolling right along after a resounding 7-0 victory against the Cubs on Friday night. Austin Pruitt's eight shutout innings led the effort, while the offense clicked for three separate scoring bursts against the defending champs. All in all, the Stone Crabs stayed perfect on the homestand at 5-0, and will start Saturday just six games back in the South Division.

With full command of all three pitches, Pruitt escaped the first with a 4-6-3 double play ball hit by the fourth overall pick in the June draft in Kyle Schwarber. A leadoff single in the second by Dan Vogelbach was cancelled out when the Texan retired the next three hitters, including a pair of strikeouts. A one out double by ninth hitter Chadd Krist in the third got a man into scoring position, but two flyouts to right from the top of the Cubs order ended the inning.

Patience allowed Charlotte to take the lead from Jose Rosario in the second. A leadoff single by Marty Gantt and a stolen base sent him to second before Josh Sale singled him home for a 1-0 lead. Another single by Juniel Querecuto and a walk to Tommy Coyle loaded the bases with two outs for Patrick Leonard, who worked another walk to make it 2-0. Justin O'Conner, after a single in the first, soon flied out to right to end the threat.

The next wave arrived in the fifth when Leonard took the first offering out for a single. A wild pitch moved him to second, and O'Conner would come through his second time around with a slicer into right center to add to the lead. With two outs, Sale skied one out the opposite way off the base of the left field wall to score O'Conner for a 4-0 advantage.

Pruitt retired nine Cubs in a row after a two out single from Wes Darvill in the fourth. Bijan Rademacher disrupted the flow with a two out single in the seventh, but Pruitt sent it to the eighth when Gioskar Amaya grounded into a force out started by third baseman Jonathan Quionez. Needing one out for his longest start, Pruitt got Jordan Hankins to ground out for the third time. Another double by Krist gave Daytona just its second runner in scoring position, but Jacob Hannemann flied out to Johnny Field in center. Noticing Krist more than halfway down towards third, Field threw back to the infield, where Querecuto shoveled it to Coyle for the inning-ending double play. The eight innings for Pruitt (9-4) established a season-high for a Stone Crabs starter and gave him his sixth consecutive victory.

Gantt opened the home half with his third base hit, a double to right off Cubs reliever Tyler Bremer. A 1-2 fastball then clipped Sale on the foot, which allowed Querecuto to single home Gantt for a 5-0 lead. An infield single by Field brought up Coyle with two outs, and the second baseman clobbered an 0-2 pitch off the right field wall for a two run triple and a 7-0 advantage. The ninth belonged to another Texan in Colton Reavis, who pitched around a one out single by Schwarber and struck out Darvill to end the game and keep the sixth shutout of the season intact.

The Stone Crabs will look to make it eight straight on Saturday night at 6:00 PM when Blake Snell (3-5, 4.59 ERA) takes the hill against the Cubs Tyler Skulina (1st Start). Cool Today is giving out backpacks as part of a Back to School Giveaway and there are still great seats available, so visit www.stonecrabsbaseball.com or call 941-206-HITS (4487) to order your tickets now!

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Florida State League Stories from August 1, 2014


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