Daytona Trips Brevard County In Series Opener

By  //  July 25, 2012

Doubleheader Tonight

BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA, FLORIDA –The Brevard County Manatees managed just five hits and struck out 13 times as they fell 4-3 to their rivals, the Daytona Cubs on Tuesday night at Space Coast Stadium.

Outfielder Brock Kjeldgaard had a two-RBI single for Brevard Country against Daytona on Tuesday night. (Image courtesy Brevard County Manatees)

Manatees starting pitcher Jed Bradley (5-8, 4.93) tied a season-high by throwing seven innings, but allowed four runs – three earned – on seven hits. The 2011 first round pick walked three, threw two wild pitches and did not strike out a batter for the third start this season.

Daytona jumped on Bradley and the ‘Tees early as Matt Szczur and Rubi Silva both recorded RBI singles in the first to give the Cubs a 2-0 lead. A passed ball by Joey Paciorek with two outs in the second inning, scored Micah Gibbs as Daytona took a 3-0 lead.

Brevard (17-14 second half, 46-53 overall) would answer with two runs of their own in the bottom of the second. Mike Walker led off the frame with a walk and two batters later Cody Hawn singled to put two on. Shea Vucinich then stepped in and recorded his 20th double of the season, which would plate Walker and make it a 3-1 game.

Joey Paciorek would then reach on a fielding error by Daytona shortstop Elliot Soto, which allowed Hawn to score and put runners on the corners with one out. That would be all that the ‘Tees would get though as both Franklin Romero Jr. and Nick Shaw struck out swinging to end the inning.

It turned out that those two runs would be all that Brevard County would get off of Cubs (13-18, 43-56) starting pitcher Matt Loosen. Loosen, who is second in the Florida State League in ERA, yielded just three hits in six innings and struck out eight.

The Cubs would score one more run off of Bradley and the ‘Tees in the fifth as Rubi Silva’s two-out triple plated Rebel Ridling and gave Daytona a 4-2 lead. Greg Holle would relieve Bradley in the eighth as kept Brevard in the game as he threw two perfect innings with three strikeouts.

Brevard County plated one more run in the eighth on a two-out RBI single by Brock Kjeldgaard. In the ninth, Vucinich led off the inning with a single to left to put the tying run on base. After Vucinich though, the ‘Tees would go down in order as they dropped their second straight game after winning four straight.

The Manatees and the Cubs will close out their three-game series with a doubleheader at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Wednesday with game one set to begin at 5:35 p.m.

Brooks Hall (4-3, 3.97) will get the ball for the ‘Tees in game one, while Eric Marzec (1-2, 2.84) will get the call for the second game.

Daytona will counter with P.J. Francescon (1-4, 3.58) in the first game and southpaw Frank Del Valle (5-3, 3.68) will toe the rubber for game two.