PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- The fans at Charlotte Sports Park were expecting fireworks after the game, but they also got them in-game as the Charlotte Stone Crabs trounced the Palm Beach Cardinals 8-1 on Friday night.
The Stone Crabs offense broke through in a big way with Isaias Velasquez setting the table with two triples, and Henry Wrigley following through with a pair of RBI singles to score his leadoff man. Anthony Scelfo added a two-run homer (his first of the year) to highlight the offensive explosion for Charlotte.
Velasquez raised his season average to .333 (16-for-48), and Wrigley continues to rake with a .383 (18-for-47) season average and notched his fourth RBI in his last three games.
Charlotte starter Frank De Los Santos (2-0) made good use of the run support with a solid six-inning outing. He gave up just one earned run on five hits but did not throw a single strikeout. Reliever Zach Quate racked them up quickly though as he struck out three batters on nine pitches to close out the game.
The Stone Crabs notched their third sellout of the season with 6,127 fans in attendance for the game that included a slew of different promotions including fireworks and a pre-game concert.
Palm Beach scored early with a run in the top of the first inning, but Charlotte bounced back with a run of its own in the bottom half of the frame when Velasquez knocked a leadoff triple and scored on a single from Wrigley to even the game.
The Stone Crabs added another run in the bottom of the third on an RBI groundout from Stephen Vogt and then enjoyed a three-run rally in the fourth. Anthony Scelfo reached on an error to start the inning and scored on the next at bat when Velasquez knocked his second triple of the night. Wrigley followed with another RBI single and then scored on a base hit from Kyeong Kang cap the scoring.
Scelfo belted his longball onto the right field boardwalk in the bottom of the fifth inning for the Stone Crabs. The two-run blast came off Cardinals reliever Mark Diapoules. Scelfo also reached on an error by second baseman Domnit Bolivar that led to Stephen Vogt scampering around from second base to score after doubling earlier in the inning.
Palm Beach starter Scott McGregor (1-1) gave up five runs (four earned) in just 3 1/3 innings pitched for his first loss of the season.
The Crabs will hit the road tomorrow for a three-game series against the Jupiter Hammerheads at Roger Dean Stadium. Right-hander Chris Andujar (0-1, 3.60) will start for Charlotte tomorrow against fellow righty Kyle Kaminska (0-1, 8.31) for Jupiter.
The team will return to Charlotte Sports Park on Tuesday, April 27 for a three-game homestand that will include Seniors Eat Free Tuesday, Chick-fil-A Winning Wednesday and Thursty Thursday. Call 941-206-HITS or visit StoneCrabsBaseball.com for more information.
I am so proud of Zach Quate. He was "lights out," at Hudson Valley and is continuing in that role even while skipping a level. Way to go Zach~and the best of everything for the rest of the season.
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