September 9, 2008 - DAYTONA BEACH, F.L. (September 9, 2008) – The Daytona Cubs took advantage of a short porch in left and several extra opportunities granted by the Fort Myers Miracle en route to a 7-3 win clinching the 2008 Florida State League Championship on Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Daytona used three two-out runs in the second and a pair of short home runs in left getting out to an early lead while never looking back.
Johnny Woodard got the Miracle off to a fast in the top of the second taking a first-pitch fastball from Cubs starter Marcos Mateo and belting it over the wall in right for a solo-shot and 1-0 Miracle lead. Unfortunately, that would turn out to be the only bright spot for the Miracle on Tuesday night.
Daytona started their three-run, two-out rally in the second with a lazy fly ball off the bat of Yusef Carter. That fly ball, with help from the breeze blowing that way, just happened to carry out over the short porch in left putting the Cubs right back in a 1-1 ballgame.
Jonathan Mota followed with a single to center and quickly raced home on Darwin Barney groundball down the left-field line. Tony Thomas capped up the two-out rally with his single to center, scoring Barney for the Cubs 3-1 lead.
Jim Adduci led off the Daytona third with his home run to left, barely clearing the wall in left, to put the Cubs up three. Ty Wright followed with a single to center and later scored in the inning on a Russ Canzler sacrifice-fly to center. After back-to-back doubles from Wilson Ramos and Whit Robbins in the top of the fourth, to go along with Garrett Olson’s sac-fly, the Miracle found themselves back in the ballgame at 5-3.
As the Cubs did all postseason long, they came right back, put a couple of more runs on the board before cruising the rest of the way. A one-out double by Steve Clevenger started the sixth before Carter walked to set up Jonathan Mota and Darwin Barney. Mota and Barney delivered with back-to-back RBI-singles to give Daytona their final 7-3 margin.
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