Miracle clobber Mets with 10-6 victory

By SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-PRESS

PORT ST. LUCIE — The Fort Myers Miracle have been searching for their offense during the second half of the Florida State League season. They found it, for at least one night, as they hammered the St. Lucie Mets 10-6 at Tradition Field on Thursday night.

The Miracle were lacking big hits during their three-game losing streak, but they got their fair share of them against the Mets.

It all started in the second inning when Trent Oeltjen collected his first of four hits, an RBI triple that knocked in Kyle Geiger. Oeltjen later scored on a wild pitch.

The Mets tied it in the second on a two-run homer by Shawn Bowman. It was the first of four homers by the Mets.

Mets pitcher Evan MacLane, who came in with the eighth-best ERA in the league (2.69), gave up three more runs in the third. Matt Tolbert tripled and scored on a passed ball. Matt Moses walked and Geiger followed with a two-run homer, his third this season, to make it 5-2.

With the score 5-4, Moses doubled and Geiger singled him home to make it 6-4.

Fort Myers put it away with two in the sixth on an RBI single by Tolbert and an RBI double by Scott Whitrock. The Miracle scored two more in the seventh on an RBI double by Whitrock, who later scored when he stole third and went home when the third baseman dropped the ball.

Jannio Gutierrez pitched 3 1/3 innings for his fourth save.

The series continues tonight.