Miracle drop home opener 3-2 in 12 innings

Special to the Cape Coral Daily Breeze

The Fort Myers Miracle committed two errors in the second inning that allowed the Sarasota Reds to get on the scoreboard first and it wound up costing them dearly in a 3-2 loss in 12 innings to the Reds at Hammond Stadium Friday night.

Jeremiah Piepkorn, who delivered an RBI double in the 12 inning, reached on an infield single to start the rally and took second on Miracle shortstop Toby Gardenhire’s throwing error. The Miracle’s second error, this one by second baseman Steve Tolleson allowed B.J. Szymanski to reach base and Piepkorn to score from second.

In the Miracle third, Tolleson and Juan Portes drew back-to-back two-out walks and Whit Robbins gave the Miracle their first lead of the season with a two-run double down the right-field line.

Sarasota tied the game at 2-2 in the ninth to force extra innings. Adam Rosales drew a bases-loaded walk off of Miracle reliever Frank Mata, scoring Mike DeJesus. On the walk, Mata’s fastball got away from Miracle catcher Jeff Christy, who alertly snapped a throw to third base to nab Mike Griffin to end the inning. Piepkorn then delivered the game-winning RBI double in the 12th.

The Miracle couldn’t get anything going in the extra innings, going nine up, nine down. Robbins ended the night 2-for-5 for the Miracle as did Piepkorn for the Reds.

Miracle starter Oswaldo Sosa left the game in the fifth after taking a line drive off what appeared to be his left leg.

The third game of this season-opening series shifts back to Sarasota Saturday at 6 p.m. The Miracle send right-hander Alexander Smit to the mound against the Reds’ Travis Wood.

After taking Easter Sunday off, the teams re-engage the series finale Monday night at Hammond Stadium.