Batts, bullpen blank Tigers 6-0
Four Fort Myers Miracle pitchers combined for a 6-0 shutout of the Lakeland Tigers to take the series at Hammond Stadium Wednesday night.
Miracle starter Mat Batts tossed six scoreless frames and limited the Tigers to just two hits. Retiring 10 in a row before exiting the game, Batts (5-2) issued just one walk and struck out three.
Zack Jones kept the out-streak going with a 1-2-3 seventh, including a pair of strikeouts. Corey Williams entered in the eighth and sat down Lakeland’s bottom third in order. Todd Van Steensel tossed a scoreless ninth, but the string of 17 in a row was retired with a one-out walk to Raph Rhymes.
The Miracle jumped out to an early lead in the first on an RBI hit by Mitch Garver. Zack Granite led off by coaxing a walk from Lakelanbd starter Kevin Ziomek. Granite then stole second and third base. After a strikeout of Vielma, Ziomek (5-9) threw a 3-1 pitch to Garver that was stroked through a drawn-in infield for a 1-0 lead.
In the fourth, the Miracle blew the game open with a four-run frame. Michael Quesada singled into right to start the inning, but was called out on runner’s interference after a bunt by Ryan Walker. With one out and Logan Wade at the plate, Walker stole second. Wad then lifted a shallow fly ball into center field that dropped down and Walker scored to put the Miracle up 2-0.
Tanner Vavra stepped up and continued the inning with a base hit to left-center. Granite then sliced a line drive to left on a 3-2 pitch. Rhymes attempted a diving catch, but the ball bounced past him into left and two runs scored on Granite’s triple and a 4-0 lead. Vielma then flared a single to right to add another Miracle run, 5-0.
In the fifth, Marcus Knecht capped a three-hit night with a double into left and advanced to third on a base hit by Jason Kanzler. Knecht scored when Quesada bounced into a 5-4-3 double play and the Miracle pushed the lead to 6-0.
Every Miracle batter in the lineup recorded a hit. Knecht was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Wade extended a hitting streak to eight games and Vavra was 2-for-3.
The Miracle (58-46, 20-14) hit the road for a four-game series with the Daytona Tortugas Thursday night .