Miracle roll to 11-5 victory against Reds

Fort Myers flies off to 4-0 start this season

By SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-PRESS

The Fort Myers Miracle are off to a scorching start, completing a four-game, home-and-home sweep of the Sarasota Reds with an 11-5 romp Sunday afternoon at the Lee County Sports Complex.

Fort Myers is 4-0 on the young Florida State League season.

The Miracle cashed in with a seven-run sixth inning when Reds reliever Joe Powers ran into control problems.

Powers walked Ron Perodin and Denard Span with one out. Matt Tolbert, who finished the day 2-for-4, doubled them both home to give the Miracle a 5-3 lead.

After Brock Peterson singled and Felix Molina was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Powers walked Geiger to force in a run.

Ben Pattee reached on a fielding error by Reds third baseman Mark Schramek to get another run home and Jesus Merchan capped off the rally with a bases-clearing double.

Merchan finished the game with four RBI.

When all was said and done, the Miracle had sent 11 men to the plate in the inning.

The Reds actually struck first, scoring in the second inning on an RBI ground out, but the Miracle, as they did all series, answered right back with a run in the bottom of the inning on a fielders choice ground out by Merchan.

The Miracle trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the third, but scored a pair of runs on an RBI single by Matt Moses and a double-play ground out by Peterson.

Span finished the game 3-for-4, with a double and three runs scored.

Julio DePaula earned the victory out of the bullpen, going 2 1/3 shutout innings. He allowed one hit, while walking one and striking out two.

The Miracle will now head out on the road for a three-game series against the Tampa Yankees beginning at 7 tonight.

The Miracle will start right-hander Nick Blackburn on the mound.