Palm Beach Halts Manatees Win Streak
By Brevard County Manatees // July 21, 2012
Cardinals Drop Brevard County 5-2
BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA, FLORIDA –The Brevard County Manatees had their current winning streak halted at four games as they were defeated 5-2 by the Palm Beach Cardinals on Friday night at Space Coast Stadium.
After allowing at least four earned runs in his last three starts, Brevard starter Brandon Williamson (2-7, 6.71) had a solid outing as he allowed just two runs in five innings of work. He yielded six hits, while walking three and striking out three.
Palm Beach did jump on Williamson early in the first as Starlin Rodriguez reached on a one-out double and came home three batters later, on a two-out RBI single off the bat of Alan Ahmady. The other run that Williamson allowed came in the fourth inning on a solo homer from Geoffrey Klein that gave the Cards a 2-0 lead.
The Manatees (16-12 second half, 45-51 overall) were having trouble figuring out Palm Beach (14-15, 45-51) starter Kyle Hald, who was making his first start in the Florida State League. Hald fanned eight Manatee hitters and scattered four hits in seven innings.
Brevard County was finally able to get on the board against Hald and the Cardinals in the bottom of the sixth. John Dishon doubled to right with one out and would steal third. Shea Vucinich would drive him home with a double of his own as the ‘Tees cut the Palm Beach’s lead to 2-1.
After striking out the Cardinals in order in the sixth, Seth Harvey ran into trouble in the seventh and it started with a lead-off walk to Mike O’Neill. Harvey was able to get Rodriguez to ground into a 5-4-3 double play and looked like he would get out of the inning unscathed.
However, Harvey would walk James Ramsey and then hit Chris Edmondson with a pitch. The bases would then be loaded after another walk to Alan Ahmady. Tommy Toledo came in for Harvey and on his second pitch the bases cleared on a triple to the right field corner from Cody Stanley as the Cards took a 5-1 lead.
The game remained 5-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth, but the Manatees wouldn’t go down without a fight. Vucinich would lead off the inning by reaching on an error by the third baseman Ahmady. Jason Rogers then ripped a single back up the middle to put runners on the corners with no outs and the potential tying run on deck.
Brock Kjeldgaard then struck out looking and Cody Hawn hit a flare into shallow center, but the center fielder Ramsey was able to make the play as the ‘Tees were down to their final out. Reggie Keen though would extend the game with a RBI single as the tying run stepped to the plate.
The tying run at the dish was Joey Paciorek, but he was unable to extend the rally for Brevard as he struck out swinging to end the game. On the night, the ‘Tees struck out 11 times against Palm Beach pitching.
The Manatees will look to get back on track beginning at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday night in the third game of their four-game series with the Cardinals.
Taylor Jungmann (7-5, 3.59) will take the mound for Brevard as he looks to continue his hot second half. The 12th overall pick of the 2011 draft is 2-1 with a 2.74 ERA in four starts so far in the second half of the season. Palm Beach will counter with Scott Schneider (1-1, 4.28).
