Miracle bats awaken in Tampa

By Fort Myers News Press Staff Report

TAMPA — The Fort Myers Miracle scored a season-high nine runs on Friday en route to a 9-1 victory over the Tampa Yankees at Legends Field.

Erik Lis finished the night 2-for-4 with four RBI, connecting on his second home run of the season with teammate Edward Ovalle capping his evening off with a 2-for-5 outing and three runs driven in.

It was all Miracle from the start as Steve Tolleson led off the game with a single to left, later scoring on a wild pitch after stealing second and then moving to third on a groundout by Dwayne White. After a two-out walk to Whit Robbins and a single by Lis, Ovalle brought in the first of his three runs on a single to right, scoring Robbins on the play.

In the Miracle third, White led off by pushing a double down the right-field line, extending his hitting streak to 10 straight games. Juan Portes followed by getting hit by a pitch before Lis connected on his three-run blast to right giving the Miracle a 5-0 lead.

The lone Yankee run of the night came in the fourth as a bases-loaded single off the bat of Francisco Cervilli scored Hideki Matsui from third.

Matsui, in Tampa on a rehab stint after straining his left hamstring, played five innings in left, going 1-for-3 at the plate with a single and the only run scored.

Four more insurance runs came for the Miracle in the middle stages of the game. Matt Betsill reached in the sixth on a fielding error committed by Kevin Russo at second base, allowing Caleb Moore to score on the play.

Three more runs came in the seventh as Lis drew a bases-loaded walk and Ovalle delivered a two-run single to center.

All three Miracle pitchers on Friday night looked sharp as starter Jay Rainville tossed 5.1 innings, allowing just one run on six hits and striking out six. Yohan Pino hurled 1.2 innings and struck out two, while Zach Ward wrapped up the night with 2.0 innings of action, allowing a couple of hits and fanning two.