5/18/14

St. Lucie 6 - Lakeland 3



Matt Koch pitched 7 1/3 strong innings to lead the St. Lucie Mets to a 6-3 win over the Lakeland Flying Tigers on Saturday at Joker Marchant Stadium.

Koch did not walk or strike out a batter. He allowed seven hits and two runs en route to his fifth win in his last five starts.

At the plate, the Mets scored four runs in the eighth inning to break a 2-2 tie and get their starter the victory.

Flying Tigers second baseman Curt Powell booted a ball with one out in the eighth that allowed Maikis De La Cruz reached safely. Dilson Herrera followed with a double to put runners on second and third. The Flying Tigers opted to intentionally walk Brandon Nimmo to load the bases and set up a force at every base, but the plan backfired when Florida State League RBI leader T.J. Rivera singled to plate De La Cruz and put the Mets up 3-2.

Jairo Perez then drew a bases loaded walk to force home and run and Cam Maron lined his third single of the game to plate another run and make it 5-2. Gilbert Gomez capped off the eighth with an RBI sac fly.

Koch got one out in the bottom of the eighth before giving up a single and being removed. Randy Fontanez recorded the final five outs.

The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the third when Herrera got caught in a rundown but kept himself alive long enough to let De La Cruz score from third.

Lakeland tied the game in the fourth when Chad Wright tripled and scored on a wild pitch by Koch.

James Robbins gave the Flying Tigers a brief lead when he opened the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run.

The Mets tied the game in the sixth. Herrera led off with a double and scored on a two-out single by Jairo Perez.

Herrera went 3 for 5 and Maron went 3 for 4. Maron has five hits in the first two games against the Flying Tigers.

Lakeland starter Josh Turley pitched seven innings and struck out seven in a no decision. - team press release

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