Miracle Cap Comeback with Rooker's Winning Hit

JUPITER, Fla. (August 9, 2017) - Down 2-0, the Fort Myers Miracle (28-17) scored two runs in the sixth and three in the seventh to beat the Palm Beach Cardinals (22-23) 5-2 on Wednesday night. Brent Rooker provided the go-ahead hit to put the Miracle on top.
Both starters moved calmly through the first third of the game. LHP Lewis Thorpe got to the fourth for the Miracle without allowing a run. After giving up back-to-back singles, Thorpe induced a double play of the bat of Leobaldo Pina. With two down, Blake Drake provided a run-scoring single to put the Cardinals on top 1-0.
An inning later, Casey Grayson plated Jose Martinez with one of his three hits on the night. Thorpe lasted five innings, striking out five while allowing two runs on eight hits and a pair of walks.
The Miracle consistently put runners on against starter RHP Connor Jones, but could not get runs in. They stranded the bases loaded in the second, and Sean Miller was cut down at home plate trying to score the tying run in the fifth. In the sixth though, the Miracle once again loaded the bases, this time with nobody out. After a Nelson Molina flyout, Shane Kennedy grounded into a potential inning-ending double play. The turn to first on the throw from second baseman Luke Dykstra was low, and first baseman Chris Chinea could not dig it out. Mitchell Kranson scored from third and Zander Wiel hustled around from second to score the tying run.
In the top of the seventh, Kranson singled with two outs and Wiel walked to, once again, load the bases. This time, against RHP Hector Mendoza (L, 0-5), it was Rooker's turn, as he flared a ball to right field to score two. A throwing error to home from Thomas Spitz brought in all three baserunners to give Fort Myers the 5-2 lead.
RHP Tom Hackimer (W, 4-0) and RHP Alex Muren (Sv, 4) each hung zeroes on the board with two scoreless innings each to seal the Miracle win.
Fort Myers heads home for an eight-game homestand, beginning with four against the Dunedin Blue Jays. Thursday's game begins at 7:05 PM ET, a Thirsty Thursday featuring half priced domestic draft beer and fountain soda.
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