Tigers scratch out 3-2 win over Miracle

Special to the Naples Daily Breeze

LAKELAND — An insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted the Lakeland Tigers to a 3-2 win over the Fort Myers Miracle Tuesday night.

Lakeland starter Burke Badenhop improved to 4-0 against the Miracle this season behind his six innings, allowing one run on five hits.

The turning point came after the first inning. Brian Dinkelman drew a leadoff walk, followed by back-to-back singles from Steve Tolleson and Juan Portes to load the bases. With one out, Danny Valencia grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

The Tigers took full advantage of the momentum shift with a pair of runs in their first. Deik Scram doubled down the right-field line and later scored on Michael Hernandez’s RBI-double in the same spot for a 1-0 lead. Justin Justice drove in a run with a groundout to make it a two-run game.

Miracle Dwayne White slapped a two-out single to right and later came around to score on Alexander Soto’s RBI-double to center, slicing the lead to 2-1. Soto, just added to the Miracle roster Monday, went 2-for-4 in the defeat.

The insurance run came in the Tigers’ eighth as Ovandy Suero slapped a swinging bunt to reach first and later scored on a wild pitch.

Johnny Woodard’s solo homer in the ninth brought the Miracle (16-17) back within 3-2.

The rubber game of the series is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday night.

Miracle 4, Tigers 1: Miracle starter Jeff Manship went seven strong innings Monday night to lead his teammates to a victory over Lakeland in a game delayed by more than two hours by rain.

Manship allowed one run on six hits, with a season-high 12 strikeouts to raise his record to 5-1.