Miracle win two, move into 1st place

Special to the Daily Breeze

JUPITER — The Fort Myers Miracle can’t afford to look ahead to their big showdown against the Clearwater Threshers. There was no letdown Monday night as they swept a doubleheader from the Jupiter Hammerheads.

The Miracle took game one 2-1 on a seventh-inning homer by David Winfree and won the second game 3-0, to take over sole possession of first place in the Florida State League’s Western Division standings.

The sweep means the Miracle have won a season-tying six straight games and nine of 11. They are 29-20 in the second half and a season-high 15 games over .500 overall.

In game one, the Miracle were stifled by Hammerheads starter Jacob Marceaux for six innings, getting just a leadoff single by Brock Peterson in the fifth inning.

Trevor Plouffe led off the seventh with a single to left ahead of Winfree’s two-run blast.

In game two, the Miracle scored early and deflated the Hammerheads. J.R. Taylor reached on an infield single. Erold Andrus singled to center and Justin Arneson drove in a run with a single to left.

Winfree came calling again in the third, hitting his second homer of the evening, a solo shot down to left, his 10th of the season.

Jeff Manship, getting the spot start and making his first appearance with the Miracle, was perfect in his two innings. Manship, a 14th round selection by the Twins this season from Notre Dame, pitched two games at the GCL before joining the Miracle.

The teams meet again Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m. with Oswaldo Sosa (1-0, 3.18) to the hill for the Miracle.