Miranda collects three hits in loss to Charlotte

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - Jose Miranda collected three hits for the Miracle, but Fort Myers dropped the series opener to the Charlotte Stone Crabs, 6-2, on Monday night at Charlotte Sports Park.
Miranda's two singles and a double accounted for three of the four hits the Miracle mustered off Charlotte starter Paul Campbell.
Charlotte led wire-to-wire. Tanner Dodson knocked home two in the first with a single to right. The Miracle cut the deficit in half in the top of the second on a Ryan Jeffers RBI groundout. The Stone Crabs answered with a run in the bottom of the frame before plating three in the fourth on a Jim Haley double and a Taylor Walls two-run home run.
The Miracle scored a run in the ninth on an Aaron Whitefield sacrifice fly.
In his first start of the season, Edwar Colina pitched 4.2 innings. He allowed six runs on eight hits. Colina, who missed the first five weeks of the season with an injury, was making his first appearance since earning the win in the Florida State League Championship Series clincher last September.
In his second relief appearance since being promoted from Rookie League Elizabethton, Rickey Ramirez retired all seven batters he faced. The right-hander struck out six, including the last five batters he faced.
Campbell (3-3) shut down the Miracle for the second time in three weeks. After holding the Miracle to one hit in an April 18^th win, the former Clemson Tiger limited the Miracle to one run on four hits in 6.2 innings on Monday night.
The Miracle finished 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
The three-game series continues on Tuesday night in Port Charlotte before shifting to Fort Myers on Wednesday. Bryan Sammons (3-0, 0.40) will start for the Miracle. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.