The Palm Beach Cardinals sent their entire order to the plate in the third inning, plating four runs, and that early deficit was too much for the Fort Myers Miracle to overcome dropping their second straight to the Cardinals 7-2 Saturday night.

After a 4-2 10th-inning loss Friday night, the Miracle will try to avoid a three-game series sweep to the Cardinals Sunday afternoon.

Fort Myers continues to struggle offensively to begin the season, having failed to score more than three runs in any game, including scoring just two runs in five of the nine games they’ve played thus far.

Bruce Pugh, who made his second start of the season, falls to 0-2 lasting just 4 2/3 innings allowing six earned runs on seven hits. Pugh notched five strikeouts on the night with relievers Tony Davis and Shooter Hunt adding two and one, respectively, to give the Miracle staff eight punch-outs against the Cardinals.

The Miracle picked up their only runs with two outs in the seventh inning against Cardinals reliever Kevin Thomas. After an infield single by Jair Fernandez and a base hit to right by Chris Cates, Yangervis Solarte and Drew Thompson followed with consecutive singles to bring two runs home.

Thompson extended his hitting streak to six games after a 1-for-4 night at the plate. Solarte has now hit safely in six of the seven games with Friday night being the only time he did not record a hit.

The third and final game of the series is Sunday at 5:05 p.m. Fort Myers sends right-hander Kyle Gibson (1-1, 2.79 ERA) to the hill to try to snap a three-game losing streak. The Cardinals counter with righty Arquimedes Nieto.

The Miracle return Monday to Hammond Stadium to play Port Charlotte.