Miracle split a pair with Mets
Chris Paul’s single with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning scored Tanner Witt from third base with the winning run as the Fort Myers Miracle earned a split in Thursday’s doubleheader with a 4-3 victory over the St. Lucie Mets.
The Mets won the opener 8-0 as Chris Flexen stymied the Miracle by throwing a one-hit, complete game shutout.
St. Lucie scored in each of the first three innings to take control of the opener. Two-out hits by Kevin Taylor in the first inning and by Jhoan Urena in the second, staked the Mets to a 2-0 lead. The visitors then broke the game open by adding three more runs in the third.
Flexen (4-5) allowed just one hit and no walks in his seven innings of work, striking out three. The lone Miracle hit was a fly ball single to left field by Brian Olson with two outs in the third inning.
In the nightcap, the Mets again jumped on top in the first inning. Jonathan Johnson led off with a line double to right, went to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on an error by Fort Myers shortstop Engelb Vielma.
The Miracle tied the score in the third. Brian Naverreto was hit by a pitch, and Vielma followed with a walk to start the inning. After a force out, Edgar Corcino lined a double to center field to score Vielma, and the game was tied at 1-1.
Tanner Witt, who was on first base prior to the hit, also tried to score on the play but was thrown out at home in a rundown.
St. Lucie regained the lead in the top of the fifth on Taylor’s two-out, two-run home run, but the Miracle answered quickly, scoring twice in the bottom half of the frame to tie the score.
The Miracle then won the game in walkoff fashion in the bottom of the seventh inning. Witt led off with a line drive single to center, stole second, and went to third on a throwing error by Mets catcher Lednier Ricardo. Paul then game through with his game-winning hit, also on a line drive to center, and the hosts had their 4-3 victory.
Felix Jorge (4-3) went the distance for the Miracle, scattering seven hits and two earned runs, striking out four without allowing a walk.
The Miracle (27-27) continue the homestand on Friday opening a four-game series with the Daytona Tortugas.