Miracle halt skid in 6-5 win
Ryan Walker delivered a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday night to snap the Fort Myers Miracle’s five-game losing streak with a 6-5 win over the St. Lucie Mets at Hammond Stadium.
Holding a 5-1 lead entering the eighth, the Miracle allowed the Mets to get back into the game. In the top of the eighth, Jeff McNeill led off with a double against Miracle reliever Corey Williams. Matt Oberste then earned a walk. Williams induced a 4-6-3 double play from Dominic Smith, but walked Victor Cruzado to put runners on the corners.
Williams exited in favor of Todd Van Steensel out of the Miracle pen. With his first pitch, Van Steensel threw a slider in the dirt that bounced past catcher Michael Quesada and McNeill scored from third. Maikis De La Cruz then lofted a broken bat single into center to bring in Cruzado from second cutting the lead to 5-3.
Van Steensel got out of the eighth with no further damage, but struggled in the ninth. After retiring the first batter, McNeill lined a single through the left side. Oberste hit a towering home run to left on a first pitch slider. The two-run shot tied the game at 5-5. Van Steensel then struck out Smith, but walked Cruzado. The Miracle brought in Zack Jones to get the final out of the ninth.
The Miracle reversed St. Lucie’s momentum in the ninth with a lead-off double by Logan Wade off reliever David Roseboom. Zack Granite laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Wade to third. The Mets drew in the infield, but Walker laced a 2-2 pitch into right to drive in Wade to begin the walk-off celebration.
Roseboom (0-1) took the loss and Jones (1-1) picked up the win in relief.
The Miracle (60-51, 22-19) head to Palm Beach Friday to play the first-place Palm Beach Cardinals at 6:35 p.m.