Miracle pick up rain-shortened win

Special to the Cape Coral Daily Breeze

The Fort Myers Miracle needed 25 1/2 hours to capture a 4-2 win over the Tampa Yankees at Hammond Stadium.

Mother Nature again gets the assist as strong thunderstorms forced the stoppage with one out in the top of the seventh inning Friday night.

What a way to open a nine-game, 10-day homestand.

Erik Lis started the game Thursday night with a two-run home run in the first inning. Jeff Christy added a sacrifice-fly in the second that gave the Miracle a 3-0 lead.

When play resumed Friday, the Miracle were took advantage of a lead-off walk in the fourth. Luis Ugueto drew the free pass and later scored on a fielding error by Tampa second baseman Kevin Russo.

The Yankees put a pair of runs on the board late before the rains came again. In both the sixth and seventh innings, Tampa benefitted from lead-off doubles, and a pair of RBI-singles that cut the lead to 4-2.

Reegie Corona picked up the two-base hit in the sixth, later scoring on Jose Tabata’s single in the seventh. It was the combo of Marcos Vechionacci and Russo that sliced the Miracle lead in half.

The Yankees did have runners at first and second with one out as the storms hit, and play was halted at 6:23 p.m.