Fort Myers ends first half with win

By SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-PRESS

The curtain came down on the first half of the Florida State League season Tuesday night at Hammond Stadium as the Fort Myers Miracle defeated the Lakeland Tigers 5-1.

Errol Simonitsch gave the 37-27 Miracle a standout pitching performance, hurling seven innings and allowing one run on nine hits while striking out five in picking up his team-high eighth win of the season.

The Miracle came right out of the shoot in getting on the scoreboard. Denard Span smacked his first homer of the season, and the second of his career, on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the first inning.

Fort Myers took a 3-0 lead in the third when Jose Leger, who joined the club Monday from extended spring training, scored on Span's single. Span stole second and scored on J.R. Taylor's RBI single.

The Miracle scored twice in the sixth inning when Ron Perodin singled to center with the bases loaded.

Josh Gray and Tristan Crawford tossed the final two innings to preserve the win. Span went 2-for-3, with a homer, two RBI, two runs scored and a walk.