FSL1 Fort Myers Mighty Mussels

Rally Falls Short in 4-3 Loss to Flying Tigers

Published on July 19, 2012 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels News Release


LAKELAND, Fla. (July 19, 2012) - The Fort Myers Miracle dropped the series opener to the Lakeland Flying Tigers, 4-3, on Thursday night at Joker Marchant Stadium.

Flying Tigers starter Luis Angel Sanz allowed just one run on four hits with five strikeouts over six innings. Sanz (7-3) handed a 4-1 lead to the bullpen, but Fort Myers would rally to make the game close down the stretch.

Lakeland reliever Tyler White entered in the seventh and loaded the bases with a walk and two hit batsmen with one out. Danny Ortiz then roped a 1-2 pitch into right field to plate two Miracle runs and cut the lead to 4-3. Trying to stretch the a single to a double, Ortiz was punched out at second and reliever Matt Little retired Kyle Knudson to end the Fort Myers threat.

Little would pitch a scorless eighth and Matt Crouse worked around a one-out double by Daniel Santana in the ninth to pick up his fourth save for Lakeland.

Miracle starter Matt Summers made his Florida State League debut, going five innings with four runs allowed, three earned, on eight hits. Summers (0-1) struck out five and had just one walk, but gave up runs in three consecutive innings in the second, third and fourth.

The Flying Tigers got on the board in the second when Hernan Perez blooped a single over the glove of Anderson Hidalgo at third base to score Adolfo Reina. The Miracle tied the game in the top of the third when Santana knocked in Angel Morales on a groundout after Morales started the inning with a triple.

In the third, a lead-off double by Daniel Fields led to a sacrifice fly from Tyler Collins for the Flying Tigers to push the lead to 2-1. Lakeland added two more runs on a two-out, two-run single from Fields in the fourth.

The Miracle (40-55, 12-16) return to Joker Marchant Stadium on Friday for a 7:11 p.m. start to the second game of the series against the Flying Tigers (51-39, 15-10). Tom Stuifbergen will take the hill for the Miracle against Lakeland's Brian Stroud. Fans can listen to every pitch at www.miraclebaseball.com with the "Voice of the Miracle" Brice Zimmerman. The State Farm pregame show will begin at 6:55 p.m.

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Florida State League Stories from July 19, 2012


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