Game Recap and Highlights: Hammerheads rally late again, beat St. Lucie Mets 4-3 in extras

Felipe De La Cruz St. Lucie Mets team Set

De La Cruz strikes out 10, allows 0 earned run in loss

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (August 16, 2023) – The Jupiter Hammerheads overcame another late game deficit and defeated the St. Lucie Mets 4-3 in 10 innings on Wednesday evening at Clover Park (Box Score).

Mark Coley and Carlos Santiago hit back-to-back doubles with two outs in the top of the eighth inning against Joe Joe Rodriguez to tie the game 3-3.

Brock Vradenburg singled home free runner Jake DeLeo in the top of the 10th to put the Hammerheads up 4-3.

Jupiter reliever Dale Stanavich recorded a ground out and struck out Diego Mosquera and Carlos Dominguez in the bottom of the 10th to keep free runner Dyron Campos at second base and end the game.

Riskiel Tineo and Stanavich combined to retire the final 10 Mets batters in a row to finish the game.

The game went into a one hour and 32 minute rain delay in the middle of the sixth inning with the Hammerheads leading 2-1.

The Mets came out of the delay on fire. Nick Morabito singled to restart the game and Wilfredo Lara followed with another single to set up runners at the corners. Nick Lorusso grounded a ball back the pitcher Tineo, who threw to second. Ian Lewis missed the catch and the ball trickled into the outfield. Morabito scored to tie the game and Lara advanced to third. Jose Hernandez then hit into a double play that brought home Lara for a 3-2 lead.

Mets starter Felipe De La Cruz enjoyed an electric afternoon, pitching 6.0 innings and not allowing an earned run while striking out 10. He was in line for the win until the Hammerheads tied the game in the eighth.

Jupiter took a 1-0 lead with two outs in the third when Kemp Alderman laced a RBI triple to plate Lewis. Lewis had reached base on an error by second baseman Kevin Villavicencio.

The Hammerheads went up 2-0 in the fifth inning. Lewis again reached base on a throwing error by the shortstop Mosquera. Lewis went on to steal second and third base. With two outs in the inning the Mets got DeLeo in a rundown between first and second base but Villavicencio’s throw to home to get Lewis during the rundown was late and Lewis scored for a 2-0 lead. He was credited with a steal of home.

The Mets had a great chance to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth. Yeral Martinez hit a one-out double and Campos reached on an error by Lewis. Villavicencio cranked a RBI double to left field off Jacob Miller to plate Martinez to make it 2-1. Campos reached third base on the hit.

Yeremin Lara replaced Miller and struck out Mosquera and Kevin Parada to strand runners at second and third.

De La Cruz came back out for the sixth inning and struck out the side. The 10 strikeouts for De La Cruz raised his strikeout total to 114 which is the second most in the Florida State League.

Villavicencio went 2 for 4 and extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Parada (right ankle) began a minor league rehab assignment and went 0-4 with a pair of ground outs and a strikeout as the designated hitter. Parada was the Mets’ first round draft pick (11th overall) in 2022 and he helped lead St. Lucie to the FSL championship last season.

Lewis went 0 for 4 with two runs scored and five stolen bases for Jupiter. The Hammerheads went 9 for 9 in stolen base attempts.

Miller lasted 4.1 innings and was charged with one run on five hits. He walked one and struck out four in a no-decision.

The Mets (37-72, 13-31) and Hammerheads (57-53, 22-22) play the third game of their series at Clover Park on Thursday. First pitch is 6:10 p.m. Fans who bring five non-perishable food items for the Treasure Coast Food Bank will receive a free ticket.

 

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