17 hits carry Miracle to 8-3 win

Special to the Cape Coral Daily Breeze

A season-high 17 hits and a four-run first inning helped propel the Fort Myers Miracle to an 8-3 victory Friday night over the Jupiter Hammerheads at Hammond Stadium.

Danny Valencia picked up four hits and Steve Tolleson added three while Miracle starting pitcher Jeff Manship worked 7 2/3 innings for the win.

Cody Ross, playing in his third rehab game from the Florida Marlins, belted a mammoth home run to right-center field to put the Hammerheads on top 1-0.

Tolleson, along with Brian Dinkelman, quickly extended their hitting streaks to six and four games with back-to-back singles in the first. After Juan Portes flied out to Ross in right, Erik Lis’ groundball to short began the fun.

Trying to throw out Tolleson at second, shortstop Agustin Septimo threw the ball into right field allowing Dinkelman and Tolleson to score. Valencia followed with a RBI single to center and Dwayne White brought in Valencia with a single to right to make it 4-1.

Tolleson, who is 9-for-12 in the series against Jupiter, slapped a single to center in the second making it 5-1. The score held until the Jupiter eighth.

Manship gave up a leadoff single to Kris Harvey before getting a fly ball out on Ross for the first out. Gaby Sanchez belted a two-run homer to left cutting the Miracle (9-13) lead to 5-3.

Miracle catcher Jeff Christy singled in the eighth and Dinkelman sacrificed him to second. After Luis Ugueto walked, Lis hit his team-leading 20th double for two more insurance runs.

The final game of the series is Saturday night at Hammond Stadium.