Miracle rap 12 hits, top D-Rays 6-4

Special to the Cape Coral Daily Breeze

VERO BEACH — Five players had multi-hit games as the Fort Myers Miracle held on for a 6-4 win over the Vero Beach Devil Rays Tuesday night.

Danny Valencia had a double, home run and three RBI as the Miracle (12-14) pounded out 12 base hits in the victory. Valencia just missed a grand slam in the top of the first as his bases-loaded double off the top of the wall in right drove in Brian Dinkelman and Juan Portes for the first couple of runs.

Portes led off the third with a single to left and scored on Johnny Woodard’s two-run homer to right for a 4-0 lead.

Valencia connected on his long ball with two-out in the fifth. Erik Lis cracked an RBI-triple in the seventh to take a six-run lead.

Miracle starter Oswaldo Sosa ran into his only trouble as the Rays’ Hunter Vick smashed a two-run double, part of a three-hit seventh that cut the lead to four.

Pat Cottrell singled to left leading off the eighth, eventually scoring on Matt Devins’ sacrifice-fly to left. Down 6-3 entering the ninth, Chris Cunningham belted a solo-shot off the scoreboard to bring the Rays within the final margin.

Miracle closer Eddie Morlan ended the comeback with a pair of pop ups and strikeout for his 13th save of the year.

Dinkelman, Portes, Lis, Valencia and Luis Ugueto each had a pair of hits in the win.

Sosa tossed 6 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on six hits in the win.

The Miracle look to take three of four from the Rays in the series finale Wednesday night.