Miracle keep pace with split

By Special to the Daily Breeze

The afternoon looked like it would turn into a disaster for the Fort Myers Miracle’s playoff chase. Although the Clearwater Threshers had lost to Sarasota, the Tampa Yankees had beaten Dunedin.

The Miracle had lost Game One of Sunday’s doubleheader 5-3 and were trailing by two runs with two innings left in Game 2. The Miracle, however, came off the canvas and scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth of the nightcap to defeat the Lakeland Tigers 4-3 and with 15 games left in the season lead the Yankees by one game and the Threshers by 1 1/2 games in the Western Division.

With the score tied at one in the sixth inning of game two the Tigers scored two runs in the top of the inning off of Miracle reliever Tim Lahey. Jeff Frazier and Jeff Larish led off the inning with back-to-back singles. With one out Gilberto Mejia doubled them both home to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead.

The Miracle needed just one hit to score three runs in the bottom of the inning. Trevor Plouffe led off the inning with a walk. One out later Brock Peterson walked.

The Tigers removed starter Eleazer Aponte and went with reliever Jeff Hahn. He didn’t fare much better, walking Luke Hughes to load the bases. Steve Tolleson’s sac fly got the Miracle to within a run. Erold Andrus’ base hit to right scored Peterson to tie the game at three and sent Hughes to third.

The Miracle then got gutsy. On a 0-2 pitch Andrus took off for second and intentionally got himself caught in a run down. Hughes broke for the plate and the throw home went wide of the catcher allowing Hughes to score the go-ahead run and eventual game-winner.

The Miracle dug a big hole in game one falling behind 5-0. With the Miracle trailing 2-0 in the third Clete Thomas led off with a double to right-center and with one out Frazier doubled home Thomas to make it 3-0.

The Tigers added two more in the fourth. With Garth McKinney at second and two outs Miguel Linares singled to left which knocked in McKinney to make it 4-0. Linares swiped second and scored on an RBI double by Thomas.

The Miracle answered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. David Winfree and Peterson led off with back-to-back singles. Deacon Burns was robbed of a base hit on a diving play by Larish, while Winfree and Peterson advanced. Tolleson added an RBI single and with two outs Caleb Moore singled home Peterson to make it 5-2.

In the seventh the Miracle sent to the tying run to the plate. Moore led off with a double and moved to third on a single to right-center. Brandon Roberts fielders choice scored Moore to get the Miracle within two, but Trevor Plouffe flew out to right and Winfree struck out to end the game.

The Miracle now begin a big four game series against the Threshers beginning on tonight with a double header beginning at 5:05 p.m. The Miracle send right-hander Oswaldo Sosa (2-0, 2.08 ERA) to the hill in game one and righty Anthony Swarzak (9-6, 3.26) to the mound in game two.