Link Report for Games of Saturday, August 11th

[Mass Haas]

Miracle site:

Miracle Make It Seven with 7-6 Win over Manatees

 

Quick starts are nothing new to the Fort Myers Miracle, but having to fend off a late-rally by the opposition seems to be happening more often than usual. Saturday night was no exception as closer Eddie Morlan struck out the side in a bases-loaded, no out situation in the eighth, before working a perfect ninth in a 7-6 Miracle win over the Brevard County Manatees.

 

After two innings at Hammond Stadium on Saturday, the Miracle sat high atop the scoreboard with a 6-0 lead. A four-run, five-hit first saw a pair of RBI-singles from Dustin Martin and Juan Portes, before Johnny Woodard's two-run single to center, giving the Miracle a 4-0 head start.

 

The Manatees helped out the early cause committing both errors on the night in the Miracle first. A solo-HR by Brian Dinkelman in the second, along with Martin's second RBI-single of the night gave the Miracle two more runs for the half-dozen run lead.

 

A five-run fifth frame for the Manatees made it a 6-5 ball game. A string of five-consecutive hits including RBI-doubles from Mike Bell and J.R. Hopf, to go along with Ned Yost's RBI-single sliced the Miracle lead to 6-3. A two-out, two-run triple off the bat of Mat Gamel brought the Manatees to within one heading into the sixth.

 

After a two-out single from Steve Tolleson kept the Miracle sixth alive, Erik Lis would belt his fourth triple of the year to the gap in right-center, pushing the Miracle lead back to two at 7-5. Brevard County made it a one-run deficit with one in the eighth before Morlan closed the door.

 

After Darren Ford's single to left made it 7-6, a single by Mike Bell would load the bases, with the tying run ninety feet away and no one out. Morlan would then retire Hopf, Yost and Anderson Delarosa on strikes to end the inning. Morlan picked up another strike out in the ninth en route to his 16th save of the season.

 

Brevard County starter Mike McClendon (4-4) was roughed up for six runs on 11 hits and a walk with four strikeouts in four innings.

 

The brief four-game homestand against the Manatees will come to an end with a matinee game on Sunday afternoon. The 1:05 PM contest (12:05 Central) will see the Miracle turn to RHP Jay Rainville (6-10, 3.33) to face Brevard County's southpaw Chris Cody (2-2, 4.15).