JUPITER - The Palm Beach Cardinals erased a 2-0 deficit to beat the Fort Myers Miracle 3-2 Saturday.
After four shutout innings from starter Pat Dean, right-hander Tom Stuifbergen made his 2012 debut in the fifth inning. Stuifbergen (0-1) retired the first two hitters, but gave up four consecutive hits culminating in a two-out, two-run single by Starlin Rodriguez to tie the game 2-2.
In the sixth inning, Stuifbergen got the first out, but then walked Chris Edmondson. Nick Longmire hit a line drive off the leg of Stuifbergen who had to leave the game.
Reliever Jose Gonzalez took over with runners on the corners and surrendered a sacrifice fly to Cody Stanley on a 2-0 pitch. The Cardinals shut down the Miracle, not allowing a hit over the final four innings. Dean Kiekhefer recorded his sixth save by stranding two Miracle base runners in the ninth.
Cardinals starter Ryan Sherriff went six innings giving up two runs on four hits with six strikeouts. Sherriff (4-0) has won every game he's started since joining the Palm Beach roster on May 20.
Fort Myers took the lead in the fourth inning on the first triple of the year by Josmil Pinto. After one out, Oswaldo Arcia doubled off the right field wall and Pinto followed by smacking a 1-1 pitch into the right-center gap scoring Arcia.
Daniel Santana picked up an RBI on a groundout in the fifth inning to give the Miracle a brief 2-0 lead.
Fort Myers (23-36) return to Roger Dean Stadium Sunday for the second of a three game series with Palm Beach (28-32).
