St. Lucie Arms Stifle Florida Bats, 7-2
June 23, 2019 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Florida Fire Frogs News Release
KISSIMMEE, FLA.: RHP Dedniel Nunez got early run support and the St. Lucie Mets locked up a series victory with a 7-2 triumph over the Florida Fire Frogs on Sunday afternoon at Osceola County Stadium.
The Mets jumped on RHP Nolan Kingham immediately, recording two hits right out of the gates in the first. Blake Tiberi slammed a leadoff single. Carlos Cortes drove him in to put them in front, 1-0.
Jacob Zanon walked, successfully following up another leadoff knock from Tiberi in the third. After a Cortes sacrifice bunt, Jeremy Vasquez drove in both runners with a double for a 3-0 advantage.
Zanon reached three times, scoring twice and drawing a walk. Cortes went 2-4 with an RBI and a run.
The Florida bats came alive in the third to answer St. Lucie's two-spot. With two outs, Jefrey Ramos moved Andrew Moritz to third with a single. Logan Brown drove in Moritz with a knock for his first RBI of the season. Drew Lugbauer produced the same result, scoring Ramos to cut the Fire Frogs deficit to 3-2.
Moritz stayed hot at the plate, notching his second three-hit effort of the series by going 3-3 with a walk. Ramos had his fourth three-hit game of the season, turning in a 3-4 line at the dish.
The Mets response came in the fifth. After singles by Zanon and Cortes put two on, Vasquez forced in a run on a groundout. Cody Bohanek's base hit plated Cortes; 5-2 Mets after five.
Kingham (4-6) gave up five runs on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts in five innings of work.
The third inning was the only blemish for Nunez (1-2). He twirled six frames of two-run baseball, scattering six hits and a walk with nine punchouts mixed in. RHP Connor O'Neil, RHP Carlos Hernandez, and RHP Ezequiel Zabaleta each turned in scoreless stanzas.
RHP Daysbel Hernandez was solid in the sixth and seventh for the Fire Frogs out of the bullpen, allowing just a single hit and no runs.
The Mets put their final two runs on the board off RHP Walter Borkovich in the eighth. A fielding error by Derian Cruz put Bohanek on. Manny Rodriguez managed a hit before Dan Rizzie's first double as a St. Lucie Met sent both runners to the plate to cap the score at 7-2.
Only one of the runs against Borkovich were earned. RHP Kurt Hoekstra entered and blanked the Mets in the ninth, working around a walk and fanning one.
NEXT UP: After taking Monday off, the Fire Frogs will host the Palm Beach Cardinals in a three-game set beginning Tuesday night at 6 p.m. Fans can enjoy 2 for Tuesday specials, including $2 sodas, two for $5 corn dogs, and two for $8 pulled pork sandwiches.
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