FORT MYERS, Fla. - - The rivalry between the Charlotte Stone Crabs and Fort Myers Miracle is often punctuated by late-inning rallies and walk-off wins.
Chalk up one for the Miracle on Monday, who came up with the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning to grab a 3-2 win at Hammond Stadium.
Drew Thompson connected for a long drive off the right field wall against Stone Crabs reliever Josh Satow (1-1) that drove in Chris Cates with the decisive run. It marks the second extra-inning loss for Charlotte this season.
The Miracle have endured a rough start to their 2010 campaign, but have picked up all three of their victories this season at the expense of the Stone Crabs. They now lead the season series 3-1.
A one-out single by Cates set the stage for the Miracle 10th inning. Satow followed that base hit by walking Yangervis Solarte, before giving up the game-winning hit to Thompson.
Pitching continues to be the story in the early going for the Stone Crabs. Charlotte hurlers have now allowed just 17 runs – only 15 of those earned - to opponents over the team’s first nine games
Starter Chris Andujar scattered six hits over six innings of work, retiring 10 men in a row at one point. The righty struck out four men and did not issue a walk.
Miracle starter Kyle Gibson matched Andujar, fanning five men over seven innings and allowing two runs on seven hits. Neither starter would figure in the decision.
The Fort Myers relievers Matt Williams and Blank Martin (1-0) teamed with Gibson to strike out six straight Charlotte hitters, beginning with the final out of the seventh inning and running through the first two outs in the ninth. Miracle relievers did not surrender a run in three inning of work.
Strikeouts were not the only problem for Charlotte. The team left five men on base and struggled with runners in scoring position, collecting just one hit in eight tries in those situations.
Henry Wrigley extended his hitting streak with a sixth inning single, his lone hit of the night. He entered the day tied for third in the FSL in batting average with a .379 mark.
The series continues tomorrow as the Stone Crabs send left-hander Matt Moore (0-1) to the mound against Michael Tarsi (1-1). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
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