Miracle grab share of first place

Fort Myers scores in 8th for 5-4 victory

By special to the Fort Myers News Press

The heartbreak of coming close to winning the first-half title is gone. The Fort Myers Miracle spent more days in first place in the first half of the season than any other Florida State League Western Division team, but didn’t win the title.

In the second half, the Miracle had spent just five days in first place prior to Saturday and none since July 22 — until they scored a run in the eighth inning of Saturday night’s game to defeat the Sarasota Reds 5-4.

Fort Myers is are tied with the Clearwater Threshers, who lost to the Dunedin Blue Jays by the same score.

The Miracle, who improved to 27-20 in the second half and a season-high 13 games over .500 overall, squandered a 4-1 lead in the seventh, but came right back.

In the eighth, J.R. Taylor reached on a throwing error by second baseman Trevor Lawhorn. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Caleb Moore and, with two outs, Brandon Roberts walked. Trevor Plouffe hit a 0-1, breaking pitch into shallow center that Marland Williams dove for but couldn’t come up with, allowing Taylor to score.

In the ninth, Miracle reliever Danny Powers gave up a leadoff single to J.D. Roberts. Chris Kroski sacrificed pinch runner Hector Tiburcio to second.

Controversy ensued when pinch hitter Phillip Gentry hit a grounder to third. Luke Hughes’ throw short-hopped first baseman David Winfree. Winfree appeared to bobble the ball, but hung onto it and Gentry was called out, which brought Reds coach Joe Ayrault out to argue.

Ayrault was forced to argue because manager Donnie Scott had been tossed in the second.

Powers got Cody Straight to fly out to center to end the game, picking up his fifth save of the year.

The Miracle looked like they had everything in control through the first six innings.

Fort Myers’ hottest hitter, Brock Peterson, gave the Miracle a 2-0 lead in the first with a two-run home run. Winfree had reached on a two-out, two-base error.

It was Peterson’s 18th homer and fourth in five days. He has an RBI in 14 of his last 16 games.

Winfree added a two-run shot in the fifth inning, scoring Plouffe. It was Winfree’s eighth homer.

After a day off today, Fort Myers will head east for a five-game series against the Jupiter Hammerheads.