The Fort Myers Miracle snapped a five-game losing streak and swept a doubleheader against the St. Lucie Mets on Friday at Hammond Stadium. The Miracle won the first game 9-8 in extra innings and took the second game 3-2.Game 1 took extra innings and three hours and 41 minutes to complete. The Miracle trailed three different times in the contest but earned a walk-off 9-8 victory in the ninth when Jhon Goncalves beat out a double play ball, allowing Kennys Vargas to score the winning run from third.
Vargas led off the frame with a double off of Cody Satterwhite and moved to third on a sac bunt from Jairo Rodriguez. Satterfield intentionally walked Mike Kvasnicka to set up a potential double play ball. Goncalves grounded a pitch right to third baseman Robbie Shields who tried to start the inning-ending double play, but his throw to second pulled T.J. Rivera off the bag. By the time Rivera found second and threw to first, Goncalves was already safe and Vargas had scored.
The victory snapped a five-game losing streak.
The Mets broke a 5-5 tie with two runs in the seventh, but the Miracle scored twice in their half to force extras. Randy Fontanez and T.J. Chism walked the bases loaded, and after Vargas struck out, Rodriguez grounded out to score a run and make it 7-6. With the Miracle down to their last out, Kvasnicka blooped a single into left field to score Byron Buxton and tie the game.
Miracle reliever Steven Gruver thew a wild pitch in the eighth that brought home Kyle Johnson to give the Mets an 8-7 lead, but the Miracle would tie the game again in their at-bat. Levi Michael led off the bottom of the eighth with a single and moved to second on A.J. Pettersen's bunt. Stephen Wickens then belted his second double of the night to plate Michael and make it 8-8.
Tyler Jones walked the first two Mets in the ninth and Rylan Sandoval bunted the runners to second and third. Matt Reynolds grounded a ball to Wickens at third and Wickens threw out Charley Thurbur at home. With runners at the corners, Jones struck out Gilbert Gomez to end the inning and preserve the tie.
Jones was credited with the victory white Satterwhite took the loss.
Kvasnicka hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Michael followed two batters later with a belted a solo shot of his own to erase a 4-1 deficit.
Starting pitcher Jason Wheeler allowed four runs - one earned - on seven hits in five innings.
In game 2, Matt Summers led the Miracle to a 3-2 victory in his first start since being recalled from Double-A New Britain. He allowed just two runs and two hits in six innings while striking out five.
The Miracle scored all three runs in the third inning. A.J. Pettersen was plunked by Hansel Robles and scored on an RBI double by Wickens. After Buxton drew a walked, D.J. Hicks singled home Wickens to make it 2-0.
Buxton moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a ground out from Vargas to complete the scoring.
Summers cruised along and at one point retired nine in a row. He ran into trouble with two outs in the fifth when he issued back-to-back walks to Reynolds and Cam Maron. Yucary De La Cruz drove both runners in with a double to left to cut the Miracle lead to 3-2. Summers struck out Johnson to get out of the inning.
Zack Jones recorded his team leading 13th save by pitching a perfect seventh with two strike outs.
Buxton reached base three times, twice on walks and once on a single.
The Miracle and Mets meet again at Hammond Stadium on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. It is the final Dog Daze of the season so every dog on a leash will be admitted free of charge.
Press Release
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