FSL1 Palm Beach Cardinals

Wild Pitch Gives Stone Crabs 14th-Inning Victory

Published on August 4, 2011 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Palm Beach Cardinals News Release


PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - After scoring a combined 17 runs and knocking out 22 hits in the last two games combined the Palm Beach Cardinals (22-19, 51-59) could manage just a lone run through 14 innings as the Charlotte Stone Crabs (23-17, 53-56) walked off to a 2-1 victory Thursday night in game two of a three-game series at Charlotte Sports Park.

Reliever Chris Corrigan (1-1, 2.81 ERA) allowed the winning run to score on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 14th after the Stone Crabs had forced extras with a last-chance run in the ninth. Palm Beach had held Charlotte to just one hit and carried a 1-0 lead into the ninth but were unable to secure the win.

Starter Arquimedes Nieto allowed just a first-inning single and third-inning walk to Hak-Ju Lee, who was one of only two Stone Crabs hitters to reach base until the ninth inning. The fourth-year righty struck out four through his 7.0 innings of work while forcing 11of the remaining 15 outs on the ground. Nieto, who was signed by the Cardinals as a non-drafted free agent in 2007 and spent parts of the last two seasons in Palm Beach, also took a no-hitter into the eighth inning July 23 at Daytona but finished with a no-decision as well. He is now 0-1 in his last three starts despite a 1.31 ERA.

Palm Beach managed its only run of regulation early on in the second inning off Stone Crabs starter C.J. Riefenhauser on a bases-loaded walk to Alan Ahmady. Domnit Bolivar and Xavier Scruggs had singled and Luis De La Cruz reached on a fielder's choice to juice the bags for the two-out free pass.

Nieto and Charlotte pitchers Riefenhasuer, Kirby Yates and Josh Satow battled through the next seven innings without allowing a run on either side and the Cards' chances looked good taking a one-hit shutout into the ninth. Jordan Swagerty, after pitching a perfect eighth inning, walked Lee to begin the last-chance ninth and then allowed a game-tying ground-rule double later in the frame to Michael Sheridan which tied the game, sent it into extras and took away a potential win for Nieto.

Things remained knotted at 1-1 through 13 innings - and a nearly 20-minute delay following the departure of home plate umpire Larry Taylor - until the bottom of the 14th when Charlotte put two men on with one out. Corrigan then fired a two-strike pitch that ricochet off home plate and away from De La Cruz, bringing home Anthony Scelfo for the game-winning tally.

Lefty Justin Wright pitched a scoreless inning for Palm Beach and Jesse Simpson held the Stone Crabs off the board for three frames before turning it over to Corrigan in the 14th. Greg Garcia, Niko Vasquez and Scruggs each had a pair of hits while each team left a total of 11 men on base.

Michael Jarman (5-4, 3.20 ERA) pitched a scoreless 14th inning to earn the win for Charlotte.

Right-hander Richard Castillo (1-3, 6.39 ERA) will look to send the Cardinals home with a series win tomorrow night in the finale against righty Alex Koronis (7-5, 4.02 ERA) and the Stone Crabs. Palm Beach returns home for a six-game homestand beginning Saturday night against Fort Myers.

For more information on the Palm Beach Cardinals, Class-A Advanced affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, please call (561) 775-1818 or visit www.palmbeachcardinals.com. For tickets and more information regarding Roger Dean Stadium, please visit www.rogerdeanstadium.com.

Check out the Palm Beach Cardinals Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Florida State League Stories from August 4, 2011


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central