Miracle rally for 3-2 win
The Fort Myers Miracle notched the first win of the season Friday with a come-from-behind 3-2 win over the Bradenton Marauders at Hammond Stadium before 8,389 fans.
Trailing 2-1 after the stretch, Trey Vavra ignited the rally upon being struck by an 0-2 pitch by Bradenton reliever Miguel Rosario. Logan Wade followed with a base hit into right-center sending Vavra to third. Alex Real jumped on a first pitch and lined an RBI hit into center to tie the game. With runners and first and second, Chad Christensen laid down a sacrifice bunt to push Wade to third and Real to second.
The Marauders went to the bullpen for Henry Hirsch. Ryan Walker worked a 2-2 count before smashing a single up the middle with the infield in. Wade trotted home and the Miracle took a 3-2 advantage.
In the eighth, the Miracle brought in Yorman Landa from the pen and he maneuvered around a lead-off single by Kevin Newman and a throwing error on a pick-off attempt. Walker tracked down the loose ball in shallow right field and threw Newman out attempting to advance to third. Landa retired the side.
For the ninth, Miracle manager Jeff Smith turned to Trevor Hildenberger. Jerrick Suiter greeted Hildenberger with an infield hit, but rallied to fan Jordan Luplow and Michael Suchy. The Marauders won a brief stay of execution with Taylor Gushue’s infield single, but Hildenberger nailed down his first save of the season by getting Elvis Escobar to fly out to center.
Escobar had given the Marauders the lead in the fifth with a two-run homer. Miracle starter Kohl Stewart was cruising early and retired the first 11 batters he faced. In the fifth, Stewart retired the first two Marauders, but walked Chase Simpson. Escobar then hijacked a first pitch for a 386-foot blast into the right field drink rails to put Bradenton up 2-0.
Stewart returned for the sixth and tossed a scoreless frame to tally a quality start. The Twins’ first-round pick in 2013 totaled seven strikeouts with one walk and four hits allowed.
Real finished his Miracle debut 2-for-3 with an RBI and Walker was 2-for-2 with a walk, RBI and run scored.
The Miracle (1-1) continue the series with the Marauders (1-1) in Bradenton Saturday and Sunday.