Noah Perio's bases-loaded hit with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the Jupiter Hammerheads (28-29, 64-61) to a 2-1 win over the St. Lucie Mets (28-23, 65-53) Sunday night at Roger Dean Stadium.
After a leadoff groundout in the 10th, the Hammerheads strung together three straight singles - two of them infield hits. Perio then drove a 0-1 pitch to deep right-center field, plating the winning-run in walk-off fashion to give Jupiter their fourth consecutive victory.
The Hammerheads win - combined with Charlotte's victory over Palm Beach - leaves Jupiter 4.5 games back of first-place in the second half of the Florida State League South Division standings.
A Ryan Fisher double - his fourth in six games - scored Alfredo Lopez from first to give the Hammerheads a 1-0 lead in the sixth.
St. Lucie got the run back in the top of the seventh, however, when Matt Reynolds ripped a two-out sinking line drive to right field that fell underneath the diving glove of Ryan Goetz. The hit was ruled a triple, and scored Charley Thurber from first base.
Hammerheads' starter Josh Hodges was then pulled. The 6-foot-7, 235-pounder held the Mets to three hits and two walks in 6.2 innings. He threw 68 of 101 (67 percent) pitches for strikes. Hodges has allowed just four earned runs in his last 40.2 innings at Roger Dean Stadium, and boasts a sparkling 1.64 ERA in 66 innings overall at his home ballpark this season.
The bullpen trio of Frank Reed, Kevin Cravey and Greg Nappo allowed just three base runners in the final 3.1 innings.
Nappo was credited with the win after pitching a spotless top of the 10th, extending his scoreless innings streak to 17.1. The right-hander from Madison, Conn. has held opponents to two earned runs in his last 21 relief appearances dating back to June 5.
The magic behind Jupiter's current four-game win-streak is no secret. In those four games, Hammerheads starting pitchers have held opponents to five earned runs in 23.2 innings, good for a 1.91 ERA. Andy Haines' pitching staff leads the Florida State League with a 3.16 ERA overall.
Brent Keys went 3-for-4 with a walk from the leadoff spot. The league-leader in batting average (.353) and on-base percentage (.422) now has a hit in 44 of his last 53 games, and has reached base in 40 of his last 42.
Lopez went 2-for-3 with two walks and a pair of runs, extending an impressive streak of his own. The Long Beach, Calif. native has recorded a hit in 27 of his last 30 starts.
The Major League rehab duo of Chris Coghlan and Casey Kotchman went a combined 0-for-7 with two double-plays.
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