Miracle start second-half with roller coaster 9-7 win

By Special to the Naples Daily News

SARASOTA — Kicking off the second-half of the season right where the first half began in Sarasota, the Fort Myers Miracle wanted to make sure the second 70 games didn’t start off the way the first 70 did. The season-opener began with a 2-0 loss in a quick pitcher’s duel, but that wasn’t the case on Thursday night.

The Miracle cranked out nine runs on eleven hits in a back-and-forth 9-7 win over the host Sarasota Reds at Ed Smith Stadium.

Erik Lis’ RBI-double and Danny Dorn’s RBI-single accounted for each team’s run in the first inning. The Miracle followed with RBI-singles from Matt Betsill and Steve Tolleson in the second, before a Reds error, Eli Tintor sacrifice-fly and Betsill’s second-RBI of the night shot the Miracle out to an early 6-1 lead.

Sarasota’s top-ranked offense kicked into gear in the third as Jeremiah Piepkorn smashed a three-run shot to left bringing his Reds to within two. After Caleb Moore’s RBI-single to right in the fourth gave the Miracle another brief, three-run cushion, the Reds would quickly cut into the lead with two more in the fourth.

Eric Eymann’s run-scoring double and Josh Holden’s RBI-single brought the contest to a 7-6 Miracle advantage. Sarasota would tie the ballgame in the seventh as Mike DeJesus’ double, followed by Craig Tatum’s double, would bring in the Reds seventh, and tying run.

After Tolleson led off the Miracle eighth with a walk and later move to second on a groundout from Luis Ugueto, Tolleson would pick up his second stolen base of the night, swiping third with one out. Juan Portes promptly followed with a sac-fly to right giving the Miracle their third run of the night.

Insurance in the form of Tintor’s RBI-single in the ninth brought home Dwayne White with the ninth and final Miracle run of the night. Six of the nine innings on Thursday night saw the Miracle leadoff man reach base with four of those six to reach, resulting in four of the nine runs.

The Miracle and Reds now shift venues back to Hammond Stadium for a 12:05 p.m. matinee on Friday afternoon. The Miracle send RHP Oswaldo Sosa (2-4, 2.65) to the mound on “Big Splash” day at the ball park.