The Charlotte Stone Crabs overcame an eighth-inning meltdown to defeat the St. Lucie Mets 11-8 in a wild game at Charlotte Sports Park on Tuesday night.
The Mets entered the eighth trailing 8-2 but managed to score six runs to tie the game 8-8. However, they weren’t able to grab the lead despite being in great position, and the Stone Crabs answered back with three runs in their half of the eighth to pull away.
Johnny Field scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth when Beck Wheeler threw a wild pitch with the bases loaded. After Wheeler departed, Granden Goetzman hit a two-out, two-run single off of Ryan Fraser break it open.
It looked hopeless for the Mets trailing 8-2 entering the eighth, but a combination of clutch hits and wild pitching from the Crabs bullpen got them right back in the game.
L.J. Mazzilli and Cam Maron opened the inning with base hits against Nick Sawyer. Gavin Cecchini then drew a walk on four consecutive balls to load the bases and Sawyer threw four straight balls to walk Jared King and force home Mazzilli to make it 8-3.
Jose Molina took over and promptly walked Phil Evans on four balls in a row to bring in Maron and reload the bases. Gilbert Gomez followed with a two-run ground rule double and the Mets trailed 8-6.
Eudy Pina came up and delivered and RBI single to right to make it 8-7. Gomez advanced to third. Molina then walked Jeff McNeil to load the bases.
Ryan Garton was brought in to pitch to Maikis De La Cruz with no outs and the bases loaded. He induced a 4-6-3 double play that allowed Gomez to score and tie the game. He got the Crabs out of further trouble when Mazzilli flew out to center for the last out with Pina on third base.
Colton Reavis shut down the Mets in order in the ninth to secure the save. Garton earned the win.
The Crabs opened up a 4-0 lead with three runs in the third and another in the fifth.
The Mets cut the deficit to 4-2 when Cecchini grounded into a double play with the bases loaded in the sixth to bring home a run. Cole Frenzel later singled in a run with two outs.
The Crabs responded with four runs in their half of the sixth. A two-run single by Patrick Leonard make it 8-2.
Reinaldo Lopez, the starter for the Crabs, received a no decision. He gave up two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Angel Cuan, who was sent down to St. Lucie from Double-A Binghamton, started for the Mets and gave up three runs in four innings.
Mazzilli and Pina had two-hit games for the Mets.
Maron extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a single.
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