FSL1 Charlotte Stone Crabs

Stone Crabs Sweep Hammerheads with Doubleheader Victory

May 4, 2014 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Charlotte Stone Crabs News Release


PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - The Stone Crabs showed that a 4-2 showing on their most recent roadtrip was no fluke when they returned home Thursday and overcame two deficits to defeat the Hammerheads 6-5. A day off on Friday came as rain overwhelmed the entire league with five rainouts. A doubleheader Saturday brought back memories of their first twin bill in Fort Myers back on April 9. At the time, the team was in the midst of a six-game losing streak after winning on Opening Day. Yet that seems like many moons ago, especially after the Stone Crabs won both games against Jupiter to complete the sweep and extend their winning streak to five.

Both offenses showed up for a 4:30 first pitch in game one. Scoreless in the third, Reinaldo Lopez got off to a very quick start and only allowed one base hit to the Hammerheads in his first four innings. He got some run support in the third when the Stone Crabs finally rattled the cage of Scott Lyman. A leadoff walk by Jake DePew came before consecutive singles by Hector Guevara and Andrew Toles to load the bases with nobody out. Tyler Goeddel's groundout to second brought in the first run before Tommy Coyle blooped a two run single over the shallow infield for a 3-0 lead.

Jupiter got a one out walk by Cody Keefer in the fifth before a single from Ryan Goetz. Noah Perio flew out to left for the second out, bringing up Austin Barnes, who made it a 3-1 game with an RBI single. The runners advanced into scoring position on the throw back in to try and get Keefer at the plate. Center fielder Cameron Flynn soon tied it up with a two-run single, and Lopez finally appeared human.

Josh Sale's RBI single with the bases loaded in the fifth put the Stone Crabs back in front at 4-3, but Lopez gave it right back when Blake Barber hit a solo home run to left in the sixth. After winning all three of their extra-inning games in April, Charlotte avoided that in the bottom of the seventh when Toles came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. He sent a hard grounder up the first base line that Viosergy Rosa snagged with a diving stop, but Toles' speed and a headfirst slide into the bag beat the Hammerheads first baseman, and Kes Carter scored the final run in a dramatic 5-4 victory.

In game two, Bruedlin Suero allowed a pair of singles in a scoreless first before the Stone Crabs scored first for the second time. Goeddel cracked a one out double to right center off Jacob Esch, then stole third base. But catcher Josh Adams' throw sailed into left field, and Charlotte held a 1-0 lead in the second. It was Goeddel's defense that ultimately led to the Hammerheads tying the score in the third inning. Following a leadoff double by ninth hitter Noah Perio, Barber was trying to drop down a sacrifice bunt to get the tying run to third. He was successful, but Goeddel came charging in and threw over first and down the line to tie the score. Another sacrifice bunt by Flynn put Barber at third, but he was thrown out at home by Jonathan Quionez after Colin Moran sent a hard chopper to the first baseman.

Quionez and his struggles at the plate were a mere afterthought once he brought in the winning run with a RBI single in the fifth after a leadoff walk by Carter and a single by Tissenbaum. Marty Gantt was hit by a pitch, and Toles reached on a fielder's choice groundout that allowed Tissenbaum and Quionez to score on a throwing error by Perio at second for a 4-1 lead that was more than enough.

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