South falls in FSL All-Star Game, 6-4
The seven members of the host Fort Myers Miracle all played during Saturday’s Florida State League All-Star Game at Hammond Stadium. They delivered their share of good moments but not enough to lead the South team to victory.
Sparked by an inside-the-park home run by Daytona’s Starlin Castro, the North defeated the South 6-4.
The pivotal play came in a scoreless game in the top of the fourth. Castro, who was named the MVP, lined a fly ball over the Miracle’s Ben Revere in center and raced around for the first run of the game. The North scored six runs in the inning, presenting an uphill battle for the South.
Revere raced in but the ball sailed over his head and rolled all the way to the wall. Cody Cipriano’s relay throw from second was in time at the plate, but Castro ducked inside the tag of catcher Francisco Pena.
“I just put my head down and ran hard,” said Castro, who finished 4-for-4.
It was the fourth All-Star Game hosted by the Miracle and Hammond Stadium in the past 12 years and the first one since 2003. The temperature was 88 degrees at the start and the conditions remained muggy and, at times, rainy. Still, 5,069 spectators took in the action.
Miracle pitcher David Bromberg started the game for the South and pitched a scoreless first inning. Castro reached on a single, but was thrown out trying to steal second. Steve Hirschfeld also pitched a scoreless inning, while Spencer Steedley surrendered one run in one inning of work.
Bromberg has a 5-0 record for the Miracle this season. The Miracle (41-25) clinched the first-half title in the South Division but have three games remaining in the first half, beginning Monday when they host Jupiter.
“We need to go out and do the same stuff,” said Bromberg. “We clinched the division (in the first half), but still have to be ready and play well in the second half.”
Revere went 2-for-5 at the plate, Saturday, including an RBI double in the fifth. He led off the third with an infield single, stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice fly. Chris Cates went 1-for-3 with a walk and scored a run. The 5-foot-3 shortstop started a double play defensively in the second.
The South threatened to take the lead in the third but after Revere advanced to third Cipriano lined out to right to end the inning.
In the top of the fourth, Jupiter’s Kris Harvey surrendered five of the six runs. After a pair of walks, Dunedin’s Moises Sierra delivered an RBI single. Brevard County’s Lee Haydel stretched it to 4-0 with a two-run single. Brevard County’s Eric Farris followed a fielding error by Cipriano with a two-run triple to the gap in left center.
The South fought back in the bottom of the fifth and cut the lead to 6-4. Pena led off with a single. Cates walked and Revere connected on an RBI double. Cates scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-2 and the South added two more on an RBI single by Palm Beach’s Shane Peterson and a sacrifice fly by Charlotte’s Gregory Sexton.