Threshers claim 7-6 win over Miracle
CLEARWATER – Dylan Cozens delivered a two-out, bases loaded RBI single in the ninth inning to hand the Clearwater Threshers a 7-6 walk-off win over the Fort Myers Miracle Friday night.
The Threshers’ rally started with one out when Chase Harris hit a 2-2 pitch from Miracle reliever Alex Muren up the middle for a single. J.P. Crawford followed with an infield hit and Andrew Pullin loaded the bases with a seeing eye single through the left side. With a Thresher at every bag, Muren (1-2) rallied to strike out Andrew Knapp for the second out. Cozens stepped up and looped a broken bat single into shallow center field to break a 6-6 tie and end the game.
Clearwater struck early in the first and took advantage of a bad bounce to plate four runs off Miracle starter Kohl Stewart. With one out, Pullin sliced a single into left. Then, Stewart got Knapp to hit a ground ball to short for a double play opportunity. A bad bounce jumped over the shoulder of shorstop Engelb Vielma and Knapp was credited with a single. Cozens then yanked a base hit into right to load the bases.
Willians Astudillo drove in the first run of the game with a weak groundout to first. Pullin crossed home to give the Threshers a 1-0 lead. Aaron Brown then sharply struck a ground ball up the middle to score a pair of runs and Angelo Mora followed with a bloop single into right to push the lead to 4-0.
Pullin added to the Threshers’ lead in the fourth with a two-run triple to right. Stewart’s night ended after four innings while giving up six runs, five earned, on 10 hits with one strikeout.
The Miracle stormed back in the sixth with five runs on seven hits and sent 10 batters to the plate. Zack Granite led off with a double off Threshers starter Brandon Leibrandt. Granite moved to third on a base hit to left by Ryan Walker. Alex Swim then got the Miracle on the board with an RBI hit to left. Marcus Knecht drove in Walker for the second run. Niko Goodrum’s line drive was knocked down by Leibrandt and picked up by Crawford at short to retire Goodrum for the first out.
With runners at second and third, Clearwater manager Greg Legg went to the bullpen for Jesen Therrien. Chad Christensen greeted him with an RBI single to left and Bryan Haar knocked in a run with a single up the middle to cut the Threshers lead to 6-4.
After a Mitch Garver flied out to center, Tanner Vavra delivered a two-out, RBI single through the left side to pull the Miracle within 6-5.
In the seventh, the Miracle tied the game with another two-out hit. Walker laid down a bunt single to start the inning and moved to second on a groundout to second by Swim. Knecht popped out, but Goodrum came through with a single to center to plate Walker and tie the game.
Brian Gilbert emerged from the Miracle pen to throw two perfect innings and Matt Summers made his 2015 debut with a 1-2-3 seventh. Muren entered in the eighth and retired the side without a baserunner before Cozens finished the game in the ninth.
The Miracle (24-24) continue a seven-game road trip Saturday against the St. Lucie Mets.