Tigers end Miracle’s win streak

Special to the Daily Breeze

The Fort Myers Miracle are hoping the Lakeland Tigers don’t ruin their second half of the Florida State League as well. The Tigers defeated the Miracle on the final day of the first half preventing the Miracle from winning the division.

The Miracle had their nine-game winning streak snapped Friday night at Hammond Stadium by those same Tigers, 4-2, cutting the Miracle lead in the Western Division to 1 1/2 games over the Clearwater Threshers.

During the winning streak, the Miracle had given up just 13 runs, but the second-worst hitting team in the FSL put up three runs in the second inning off Miracle starter Josh Hill, who went five innings allowing three runs on six hits while walking three and striking out six.

The Tigers added an insurance run in the seventh.

The Miracle had a golden opportunity to tie the game in the eighth. Trevor Plouffe (0-for-4) walked, ending his 10-game hitting streak. After David Winfree was hit by a pitch, Brock Peterson followed with an RBI single to make it 4-2. Deacon Burns’ bunt single loaded the bases with nobody out.

The Miracle, however, couldn’t push across any more runs as Luke Hughes struck out, Steve Tolleson popped out and Erold Andrus flied out to right to end the inning.

The Miracle look to begin a new winning streak Saturday night against the Tigers at 7:05 p.m., sending Kyle Waldrop (3-0, 2.51) to the mound.