Charlotte Stone Crabs vs Daytona Cubs

Port Charlotte, Florida: The Stone Crabs took 3 of 4 from the league leading Daytona Cubs by winning the series finale by the score of 10-2 on Friday night at Charlotte Sports Park. Rays starter Jeff Niemann pitched four scoreless innings during a rehab start to set the tempo while the Stone Crabs offense posted six runs in the first two innings to get ahead and never look back.

The Stone Crabs scored four run in the first inning to get the game started. Hak-Ju Lee led of the inning with a walk. Tyler Bortnick followed with a single to third. Manager Jim Morrison then called for a double steal and both runners advanced one bag closer to home. Greg Sexton drew a walk to load the bases. Then Mayo Acosta drew a bases loaded walk to drive home the first run of the inning. Bortnick scored on a sac fly by Anthony Scelfo. Two more runs came off a double by Mark Thomas that scored Sexton and Acosta. The Stone Crabs sent eight hitters to the plate in the inning and walked away with a 4-0 lead.

The Stone Crabs added two more runs to the total in the second inning. They loaded the bases on three consecutive hits by Lee, Bortnick and Brett Nommensen. The first run came on an RBI single by Sexton that scored Lee. Bortnick then scored on a sac fly by Acosta as the Stone Crabs now led 6-0.

The Stone Crabs added another pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Scelfo led off the inning with a single to center followed by a double to left by Mark Thomas. Dustin Biell drove home the first run with a ground out to third. Thomas scored on an RBI single by Lee to give the Stone Crabs an 8-0 lead.

The in the seventh, the Stone Crabs pushed across two more runs. Thomas led off the inning with a solo home run, his fourth of the season. Biell followed with a single to left later followed by a single by Bortnick. Pinch hitter Lucas Montero was hit by a pitch to load the bases for the Stone Crabs. Then Sexton was hit by a pitch to push across a run to extend the lead to 10-0.

Daytona finally reached the scoreboard in the top of the eighth inning. Michael Brenley singled to center followed by a double by Jake Opitz. Rubi Silva singled home both runners with an RBI single to right. But the Stone Crabs shut the door and did not allow any further runs to take a 10-2 win.

Merrill Kelly picked up the win for the Stone Crabs while Brent Ebinger was charged with the loss for Daytona.

Click on the photo above to view the Stone Crabs/Cubs photo gallery.