Fort Myers Miracle Edge Lakeland Flying Tigers 10-9 on Walk-Off Home Run - Advanced A, Florida State League

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com - FORT MYERS, F.L. (April 22, 2008) – Juan Portes completed the Fort Myers Miracle comeback with a two-run, walk-off blast to left in the bottom of the ninth sending the Miracle to a 10-9 victory over the Lakeland Flying Tigers. Both teams combined for 10 runs in the sixth inning as the Miracle ended up scoring the final seven runs of the night for the win. The Miracle have won sixth-straight at Hammond Stadium thanks to the come-from-behind win on Tuesday night. Coupled with a Dunedin loss in Sarasota, the Miracle now find themselves in sole possession of first place in the Florida State League’s west division.
 
Action began all the way back in the second frame as Lakeland picked up an RBI-double from Shawn Roof for the early 1-0 lead. Johnny Woodard helped the Miracle respond with a lead-off double to right in the home-half of the second. Whit Robbins would single to left before Danny Santiestiban lifted a three-run dinger to put the Miracle up two.   
 

ADVERTISEMENT One of three Miracle errors on the night allowed the Flying Tigers to tie things at three just a half-inning later. A sacrifice fly by Scott Sizemore and a wild pitch by Miracle starter Tyler Robertson brought in the pair of tying runs for Lakeland.  
 
The Flying Tigers scored six unearned runs in the top of the sixth opening things up to a 9-3 visitor lead. After Brandon Timm and Jeramy Laster reached on fielding errors by Robbins at third, a walk to James Skelton would load the bases for Ryan Strieby. Strieby quickly roped a two-run single to center for a 5-3 Tiger advantage. Roof collected a RBI-single to center while the big blow, a three-run blast to right, off the bat of Justin Justice put the Miracle in a six-run hole.
 
Thanks to three walks by reliever Jordan Tata, the Miracle would immediately bounce back with a four-run bottom of the sixth slicing the Lakeland lead to two. Robbins started things off with a sacrifice-fly to center before Santiestiban spanked a double to left. A wild pitch eventually led to Santiestiban scoring while pinch-hitter Wilson Ramos drew a bases loaded walk for the final fourth run.
 
Danny Valencia contributed in the Miracle seventh with a one-out double to right. Portes would come up with a two-out single up the middle plating Valencia, cutting the Lakeland lead down to 9-8. The Flying Tigers had a big opportunity for insurance in the eighth with the bases-loaded and one-out. Rob Delaney then retired Cale Iorg and Sizemore on strikes to end the threat.
 
Woodard delivered with a one-out single to left starting the ninth-inning rally. Portes then provided the fireworks two pitches later pummeling a Freddy Dolsi fastball for the game-winning two-run bomb to left. Danny Vais picked up his fourth win of the year behind a three-up, three-down top of the ninth.
 

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