Lis bombs Miracle to 5-2 win in Tampa

By Special to the Naples Daily News

The second-half playoff push for the Fort Myers Miracle continued to roll in the right direction Wednesday night after a 5-2 road win over the Tampa Yankees at Legends Field. The Miracle have won 10 straight ball games, a Florida State League season-high, and have put the second-best consecutive win-streak together in Miracle history. Erik Lis blasted off again early on Wednesday helping the Miracle move to within three games of first in the FSL’s second-half.

After a lead-off double by Brian Dinkelman in the first, Lis would connect with his third home run in two nights, a two-run shot to right, jumping the Miracle out to a 2-0 lead. After a RBI-single by Edward Ovalle, throwing error by Marcos Vechionacci at third and a RBI-groundout by Dwayne White, the Miracle would end their first inning sending all nine hitters to the plate in a five-run, six-hit onslaught to begin the night.

Five runs for Miracle starter Jeff Manship turned out to be plenty of runs support on Wednesday night. Manship gave up a RBI-double to Jared Greenwood in the second, along with a run-scoring single by Perez in the sixth, allowing the only two Tampa runs on the night. Manship went six frames, allowing the pair of runs on seven hits, with a walk and five strikeouts, moving himself to 7-3 this year.

The bullpen trio of Kyle Aselton, J.P. Martinez and Eddie Morlan didn’t allow a serious Yankee threat the rest of the way. Morlan would strike out the side in the ninth for his 17th save of the season.

An 11-game win streak and a three-game sweep of Tampa is what the Miracle will be shooting for on Thursday night. The series finale will send Miracle right-hander Kyle Waldrop (5-3, 3.00) to the Legends Field mound against the Yanks right-hander Brett Smith (0-3, 7.98) at 7 p.m.