JUPITER - Five members of the lineup registered multi-hit games in the Fort Myers Miracle's 7-3 victory Wednesday over the Jupiter Hammerheads in the Florida State League's first-half finale.
The Miracle jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning taking advantage of mistakes by the Jupiter battery. Hammerheads starter Edgar Olmos yielded back-to-back singles to Danny Ortiz and Danny Rams to begin the inning. Olmos (1-5) then delivered a pitch that catcher Taylor Krick could not handle cleanly, allowing the runners to move up on a past ball.
With one out, Angel Morales hit a line drive into left field that was caught by Isaac Galloway, but Ortiz trotted home and Rams took third on the sacrifice fly to give the Miracle a 1-0 lead. Daniel Santana stepped up to the plate, but the first pitch from Olmos skidded to the backstop and allowed Rams to score on a wild pitch.
In the third inning, the Miracle delivered two-out damage. After getting a groundout and a strikeout, Olmos ceded four consecutive hits. Kyle Knudson singled and so did Ortiz to put two aboard. Rams then followed by smashing a 1-0 pitch that hopped up against the left field wall scoring Knudson.
Andy Leer pushed the Miracle lead to 5-0, hugging the third base line with a double into the left field corner on a 2-0 delivery from Olmos and scoring Ortiz and Rams.
Madison Boer picked up his third consecutive win with five solid innings, allowing just two runs on five hits. Boer (3-6) had not pitched for the Miracle since June 10, but shook of the rust with four strikeouts.
The Miracle totaled seven runs on 12 hits. Knudson racked up a second consecutive three-hit night going 3-for-5 with a run scored and another driven in. Ortiz finished 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored. Rams was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a RBI while Leer ended the evening 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and a run.
Santana reached base four times and drove in a run going 2-for-4 with a walk.
The Miracle bullpen stranded four runners in the final three innings with scoreless outings by Ricky Bowen and Matt Hauser. The final three outs were recorded by Hauser who needed just seven pitches to close out a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
The Miracle end the first half with a 28-39 record. They stay on the road to open the second half with the first of a three-game series Thursday night with the first half champion St. Lucie Mets.
