LAKELAND - The Fort Myers Miracle lost the series finale to the Lakeland Tigers 4-2 Sunday afternoon to split the four-game series at Joker Marchant Stadium.
Scoreless through the first three innings, the Tigers gained a 1-0 advantage in the fourth by scoring an unearned run off Miracle starter Madison Boer. With one out, Boer (4-9) plunked Wade Gaynor with an 0-2 pitch then walked Dean Green on four pitches.
Tigers catcher Adolfo Reina then hit a potential double-play ball to short. Levi Michael flipped to second for one out, but Daniel Santana's throw to first base was a low and Lance Ray couldn't hang on to complete the double play. The ball bounced away from Ray allowing Gaynor to score.
Boer gave up a second run in the sixth inning on a two-out, run-scoring double by Reina.
Former Tiger and current Miracle reliever Cole Nelson entered the game in the seventh after Boer completed six innings, giving up two runs on five hits and fanning five.
Nelson was greeted with back-to-back bunt singles by Hernan Perez and Dixon Machado, then a third consecutive base hit by Daniel Fields to load the bags. After striking out Marcus Lemon, Nelson walked Tyler Collins to push the lead to 3-0. With two out, Nelson hit Green to force in another run giving the Tigers a 4-0 advantage.
The only Miracle offense came in the eighth inning when Santana blasted a two-run homer over the left field fence off reliever Matt Crouse.
Miracle catcher Josmil Pinto went 3-for-4 and Jhon Goncalves was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
The Miracle (41-56, 14-17) return to Hammond Stadium Monday for a 7:05 p.m. game against the Charlotte Stone Crabs.
