Rains let up enough for Miracle to win 1

By SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-PRESS

At least the Fort Myers Miracle and Sarasota Reds managed to get in one game Saturday night before the rains returned.

Fort Myers won 1-0 in a Florida State League game that was called in the bottom of the sixth.

The scheduled second game at the Lee County Sports Complex was a washout.

The rainout of Saturday's nightcap is the fourth game the Miracle have had canceled in the first half of the season, meaning they will play, at most, 66 of the 70 scheduled first-half games.

Fort Myers and Sarasota hadn't played in a while, with single games rained out Wednesday and Thursday and a twinbill washed out Friday.

The Miracle's Errol Simonitsch (6-2) dominated the Reds in earning the six-inning, complete-game shutout. He allowed just three hits and struck out seven.

In the third, Simonitsch gave up a leadoff single to Hector Tiburcio. With a full count on Mark Schramek, Simonitsch caught Tiburcio going to second and picked him off.

It turned out to be a big play because Schramek ended up doubling, but was left stranded when Simonitsch struck out the next two batters.

The Miracle scored the game's only run in the bottom of the third.

Brock Peterson led off with a single to left, moved to second on a Ron Perodin ground out and went to third on Matt Tolbert's single. Sarasota couldn't complete a double play on Denard Span's grounder to short as Peterson came home.

The two hits in the inning were the only hits the Miracle collected in the game.

Weather permitting, the Dunedin Blue Jays will come into the Lee County Sports Complex today for the start of a three-game series.

Game time is 1:05 p.m.

Fort Myers is scheduled to start left-hander Glen Perkins (1-2, 2.65 ERA) against Dunedin lefty David Purcey (3-3, 3.81).