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FSL1 Charlotte Stone Crabs

Tortugas Stay Alive with 6-1 Win in Game Three

September 12, 2015 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Charlotte Stone Crabs News Release


PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (September 12, 2015) - The Stone Crabs were finally given a dose of reality on Saturday night at Charlotte Sports Park, and that is it's very tough to never trail in the postseason. In two wins over the Cardinals to win the first round and two over the Tortugas to begin the best-of-five Florida State League Championship Series, the boys in blue were usually playing with the lead. It was surprising then that the bats finally fell silent against a virtual unknown in sinkerballer Jake Paulson, who fired seven scoreless innings in his Tortugas debut. Coupled with four runs batted in from Sebastian Elizalde, and you had a 6-1 Daytona victory to set up game four on Sunday night as the 'Crabs continue to search for their first championship.

During the first two games in Daytona, the Stone Crabs opened the scoring in the second inning. However, it became apparent in the first few innings that Paulson's sinker was working and forcing the Stone Crabs to expand the strike zone in his favor. The third inning started with a walk to Pat Blair, who never advanced past first once Kean Wong struck out and Armando Araiza and Braxton Lee both grounded into 4-6 fielder's choices to retire the side.

Starting for the first time since August 22, Hunter Wood looked extremely composed on the biggest stage he's ever pitched in professionally. The righthander struck out the side in the first and added one more in the second before Elizalde got picked off for the last out after a single for the game's first hit. Wood later worked through a walk and a hit batter in the fourth, and struck out two more for a five inning total of eight despite a two out double off the bat of Blake Trahan.

Ty Washington led off the top of the sixth with a single into left, and advanced on a walk to Brian O'Grady which spelled the end for Wood (0-1). Mike Franco got the first call from the bullpen and pitched to Chad Wallach, who laid down a sacrifice bunt to put two in scoring position with just one out. Daniel Pigott came up and scratched a grounder to third, where Hector Guevara came up firing to nail Washington at the plate for the second out. The problems began when Franco fell behind on Elizalde 3-0, and the next pitch was ambushed by the right fielder for a deep three-run home run to right center to give Daytona its first lead of the series.

Paulson didn't allow his first hit until Braxton Lee sliced a one out single into left in the sixth. He eventually got to second on a wild pitch, but the inning belonged to third baseman Taylor Sparks, who handled all three groundouts at third. Paulson (1-0) came out after the seventh, allowing just one more hit when Justin Williams lined a single over third.

The Torugas distanced themselves for good in the ninth when they collected three straight base hits off Josh Kimborowicz, including a run scoring triple from Elizalde and an RBI double from Sparks. The third run came in on Trahan's single into left off Kyle McKenzie, which put the Tortugas ahead 6-0 with only three outs remaining. The Stone Crabs scored once in the bottom half off El'Hajj Muhammad thanks to an error by Jeff Gelalitch in center, who overran a ball hit back up the middle by Williams.

Game Four will be played at Charlotte Sports Park on Sunday night at 6:00 PM when Brent Honeywell (1-0, 1.29 ERA) looks to lead the Stone Crabs to their first championship against Florida State League Co-Pitcher of the Year Amir Garrett (1-0, 0.00 ERA). Playoff tickets are still available, so visit www.stonecrabsbaseball.com or call 941-206-HITS (4487) to order your tickets now!

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