FORT MYERS, Fla. (July 25, 2017) - Nelson Molina supplied a two-run double in the 13th inning to give the Fort Myers Miracle (19-12) a 4-1 win over the Lakeland Flying Tigers (14-14) on Tuesday night. The win snapped a five-game losing streak and handed Lakeland their ninth straight loss.RHP Cody
FORT MYERS, Fla. (July 25, 2017) - Nelson Molina supplied a two-run double in the 13th inning to give the Fort Myers Miracle (19-12) a 4-1 win over the Lakeland Flying Tigers (14-14) on Tuesday night. The win snapped a five-game losing streak and handed Lakeland their ninth straight loss.
RHP Cody Stashak left his start early after two innings with an apparent injury, and RHP David Fischer provided three scoreless innings in emergency relief.
In the bottom of the seventh, three straight singles loaded the bases to start the inning against RHP Williams Ramirez. The righty induced a force out at home on a ground ball by Will Allen. Will Maddox tripped up catcher Brian Navarreto coming home, and Ramirez said something to Maddox to get him ejected from the game. RHP Alex Muren came in, and Joey Pankake supplied a sacrifice fly to score Blaise Salter and give the Flying Tigers a 1-0 lead.
Fort Myers countered in the eighth when Jermaine Palacios tripled with one out before Mitchell Kranson provided a sac fly of his own to tie the game.
In a 1-1 game, both sides battled to put runners on in all but one half inning through to the 13th. LHP Sam Clay (W, 8-0) twirled three scoreless innings, and in the top of the 13th the Miracle delivered. With the bases loaded and one out, the pinch hitter Molina stepped up and drilled the first pitch from RHP Johan Belisario (L, 0-1) down the right field line to score a pair. Zander Wiel crossed home later on a wild pitch for the 4-1 final. RHP Tom Hackimer (Sv, 3) shut the door in the bottom half to seal the win.
RHP Sean Poppen toes the rubber on Wednesday at 6:30 PM ET against RHP Spencer Turnbull in the second game of the series.
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