Miracle split doubleheader

Fort Myers shuts out Clearwater in opener

By SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-PRESS

The Fort Myers Miracle split a Florida State League doubleheader with the Clearwater Threshers on Tuesday night at the Lee County Sports Complex, winning game one 5-0 and losing the nightcap 6-3.

In the opener, the Miracle jumped out to a 2-0 in the third inning. With runners at first and second Felix Molina hit a grounder to third. Denard Span was forced at second, but broke up the double play and Tim Moss' throw went into the dugout, allowing J.R. Taylor to score.

Matt Moses followed with an RBI single.

The first batter after a two-hour rain delay was Trent Oeltjen, who blasted one over the right-field wall for a solo homer, his third of the season.

The Miracle tacked on two more runs in the sixth on an RBI double by Moses and an RBI single by Kyle Phillips.

Fort Myers starter Adam Harben tossed four shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out three, but had to come out of the game because of the rain delay. Jay Sawatski pitched the final three innings for the victory, giving up just two hits while striking out two.

Moses, Phillips and Oeltjen each went 2-for-3.

The Threshers did something in game two they had only done twice this season and not since May 13 — win on the road.

Clearwater had lost 13 straight road games and was 2-28 away from Bright House Networks Field, but Miracle starter Josh Gray was roughed up in his 1 1/3 innings of work Tuesday night.

Gray gave up an RBI single to Brad Correll in the first inning and then gave up four runs in the second, capped by a three-run homer from Marc Tugwell. Gray took the loss, his 12th straight dating back to last season.

The Miracle scored in the third when Span tripled with one out and scored on Oeltjen's RBI groundout.

In the fifth, Ron Perodin led off with a double and two batters later Span tripled for the second time, scoring Perodin.

The Miracle got to within 5-3 in the sixth. With Felix Molina at second and two out, Ron Perodin hit a slow roller to second that he beat out and Molina came all the way around from second to score.

The same two teams meet again tonight at the Lee County Sports Complex.

The Miracle send left-hander Errol Simonitsch (6-3, 2.90 ERA) to the hill against Clearwater right-hander Kyle Kendrick, making his first start for the Threshers.