Miracle walk off with 4-3 win
Marcus Knecht’s two-run homer in the ninth inning forced extra innings and set the stage for Alex Swim’s game-winning single in the 11th Saturday night giving the Fort Myers Miracle a 4-3 walk-off win over the Charlotte Stone Crabs at Hammond Stadium.
Trailing 3-0 entering the seventh, the Miracle (2-1) began mounting a comeback. After three scoreless frames by Tampa Bay Rays starter Alex Colome on a rehabilitation assignment, left-hander Chris Kirsch took over for the Stone Crabs (1-2). Kirsch navigated the fourth, fifth and sixth effortlessly, but Chad Christensen led off the seventh with a double off the wall in right field.
Aderling Mejia grounded out and Michael Quesada moved Christensen on a groundout to shortstop. Kirsch then walked Knecht to put runners on the corners. On a 2-2 count, Engelb Vielma chopped a bouncer through the right side that allowed Christensen to score and put the Miracle on the board, 3-1.
In the ninth, Quesada led off with a walk off Crabs reliever Justin McCalvin. Knecht stepped to the plate and launched a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left to tie the game 3-3. McCalvin exited the ninth with no further damage and the game moved to extra innings.
Brandon Peterson remained on the hill for the Miracle in the 10th after working a scoreless ninth by striking out the side. Peterson fanned two more in 10th and the Miracle failed to take advantage of two walks in the bottom of the inning.
Madison Boer took over for the Miracle and retired Charlotte in order with a strikeout to pave the way for Swim’s game-winning heroics.
Stone Crabs reliever Isaac Gil retired Quesada on an infield pop up for the first out. Knecht then delivered his third hit of the game with a hard single through the left side. Vielma followed with a bouncing ball that skipped past Jake Bauers at first base into right field. Knecht took third. With the infield drawn in, Vielma stole second on defensive indifference and Gil (0-1) intentionally walked Niko Goodrum to load the bases.
Swim stepped up with the infield still at the edge of the grass. On an 0-1 pitch, Swim smacked a two-hopper to the left side that Crabs shortstop Willy Adames dove to his right and knocked down, but watched helplessly as Swim raced to first and Knecht home to seal the Miracle’s first walk-off win of the season.
Boer (1-0) earned the victory on a busy night for the Miracle bullpen. Chih-Wei Hu started got no decision after five innings. Hu left with the Crabs leading by two runs. Tim Shibuya arrived in the sixth and surrendered a RBI single to Joey Rickard that pushed the Crabs to a 3-0 lead.
Shibuya remained in the game for a scoreless seventh and Todd Van Steensel tossed a scoreless eight in his first action of the season.
The Miracle go for the series win in Port Charlotte Sunday afternoon.