Miracle wins fourth in a row

Special to the Cape Coral Daily Breeze

A four-run top of the seventh inning turned out to be just enough as the Fort Myers Miracle held on for a 4-3 win over the Vero Beach Devil Rays Sunday at Holman Stadium.

Half of the 10 total hits came in the seventh as the Miracle won their fourth-in-a-row for the first time this season.

Rays starter Jeff Kamrath worked into the seventh retiring Edward Ovalle with a one-pitch groundout to second. Johnny Woodard reached on Kamrath’s only walk and Dwayne White ripped a double off first baseman Rhyne Hughes’ glove, putting runners at second and third.

Kamrath departed after White’s double, finishing his day, allowing two runs, five hits and eight strikeouts. Reliever Jonathan Beltre entered and Jeff Christy greeted him with a double just inside the first base bag, scoring Woodard and White, to tie the game.

Toby Gardenhire promptly brought around Christy with the go-ahead run on a single to center. Gardenhire scored what turned out to be the difference-maker on an Erik Lis sacrifice fly to left.

Vero Beach had a 2-0 lead before the four-run Miracle seventh.

Jay Rainville picked up the win, tossing six innings, allowing two runs on five hits, with six strikeouts. Eddie Morlan worked around a single in the eighth and a pair of walks in the ninth for the save, his 12th of the year.

Brian Dinkelman extended his hit-streak to eight with a single in the seventh. Steve Tolleson also pushed his hit streak to six with his first of two singles in the Miracle sixth.

Game two of the series begins at 7 p.m. Monday night. Zach Ward (2-12, 3.14) will start for the Miracle.