The Wandering Disciple

Port Charlotte, Florida: After being closed for a few days due to a damaged backstop net, Charlotte Sports Park returned to action on Tuesday nights as the Charlotte Stone Crabs welcomed the Daytona Tortugas to town. The game started out with both team throwing a pair of runs on the scoreboard, but afterwards the Tortugas took control, handing the home team a 7-2 loss. Despite Charlotte having Rays reliever Tommy Hunter on the mound, Daytona struck first in the opening frame. They led off the inning with back to back singles by Alfredo Rodriguez and Shed Long. Rodriguez scored on a ground out by Nick Senzel. Long later scored on a wild pitch to give Daytona a 2-0 lead. The Stone Crabs bounced back to tie the game in the second inning. Brett Sullivan led off the inning with a double to center. Sullivan then scored following a throwing error on a Ryan Boldt bunt single. Boldt later scored on an RBI single by Jake Fraley to tie the game. Daytona regained the lead in the thi...

Port Charlotte, Florida: What started out on paper as an epic duel of starting pitchers turned out to be a battle of the bullpens and a test of patience and endurance. But when the thirteen inning battle ended, it was a bases loaded walk that would lift the Stone Crabs over the Daytona Tortugas 3-2 to give the Stone Crabs the 2015 Florida State League Championship. The Stone Crabs came swinging against the Tortugas, collecting a pair of runs in the first inning. Braxton Lee led off the inning with a single to left. He advanced to third following a double by Hector Guevara. Sac flies by Mike Marjama and Casey Gillaspie would plate both of the runs to give the Stone Crabs a 2-0 lead. Daytona cut the lead in half in the third inning. Ty Washington reached on a questionable catcher interference call to get the inning started. Washington would move to third following a double by Brian O’Grady to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. A ground out by Chad Wallach would score...

Port Charlotte, Florida: The Florida State League Championship Series shifted to Charlotte Sports Park for game three of the best-of-five series between the Charlotte Stone Crabs and Daytona Tortugas. The Stone Crabs returned home to Charlotte just need to win one more game to win the title as they already led the series 2-0. Both starting pitchers tossed a gem, keeping the game scoreless through the first five innings. It wasn’t until the top of the sixth inning that a run would cross the plate. That is when Sebastian Elizalde went deep to right for a three run home run to give the Tortugas a 3-0 lead. Daytona added three more runs in the ninth. Elizalde hit an RBI triple to score Daniel Pigott. He later scored on an RBI double by Taylor Sparks. Sparks would score on a sac bunt by Jeff Gelalich to make it 6-0. The Stone Crabs were held scoreless until the bottom of the ninth where they drove home a run son an RBI single by Justin Williams to avoid shut-out. The Stone C...

Port Charlotte, Florida: For the second time, fans at Charlotte Sports Park were treated to a great pitching performance at the hands of the Rays Drew Smyly and the Stone Crabs ace Blake Snell. The pair of lefties combined for 8 innings of scoreless ball to lead the Stone Crabs to a 2-0 won over the Daytona Tortugas on Tuesday morning. The Stone Crabs wasted no time taking the lead, scoring in the first inning. Last night’s hero Andrew Velazquez singled to left to lead off the inning. He would later score on an RBI single by Joey Rickard to take the lead 1-0. The Stone Crabs added to their lead in the third inning. Armando Araiza opened up the frame with a double to left. Then Braxton Lee laid down a perfect bunt single, moving Araiza to third. But on the play, the throw sailed past the first baseman to score Araiza to give the Stone Crabs a 2-0 lead. From that point, it became a pitching duel with both clubs exchanging zeroes for the final six frames. But when it was over, it...