Manatees Battle To 4-3 Win Over Daytona Cubs

By  //  April 5, 2014

first road game of the 2014 season

Manatees starting pitcher Damien Magnifico allowed one earned run over 5 2/3 innings on Saturday night against the Daytona Cubs. Magnifico did not factor into the decision as Brevard County defeated Daytona 4-3 in ten innings at Radiology Associates Field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography)
Manatees starting pitcher Damien Magnifico allowed one earned run over 5 2/3 innings on Saturday night against the Daytona Cubs. Magnifico did not factor into the decision as Brevard County defeated Daytona 4-3 in ten innings at Radiology Associates Field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography)

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – Despite blowing an early three run lead, the Brevard County Manatees battled to a 4-3, ten inning victory over the Daytona Cubs in their first road game of the 2014 season Radiology Associates Field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

Garrett Cooper
Garrett Cooper

After striking out in his first four at-bats, Manatees first baseman Garrett Cooper came through with the go-ahead RBI single to center to put Brevard County (2-0 overall, 2-0 first half) up for good in the top half of the tenth inning.

The Manatees struck early picking up a 1-0 lead three pitches into the game. Center fielder Tyrone Taylor led off the game with an infield single to short and was quickly driven home. Second baseman Orlando Arcia ripped the first pitch he saw from Cubs starter Jose Rosario down the left field line for an RBI double.

After back-to-back walks to catcher Cameron Garfield and left fielder Victor Roache, with one out shortstop Yadiel Rivera hit a sacrifice fly to left to stretch Brevard County’s lead to two.

The Manatees’ offense stayed hot by tacking on another run in the top half of the second inning.

Brandon Macias
Brandon Macias

Third baseman Brandon Macias got the rally going by smacking a one-out double over the head of Daytona center fielder Albert Almora. Arcia picked up his second RBI of the night by lacing a triple down the right field line to score Macias and give Brevard County a 3-0 advantage.

After retiring the first six batters of the game, Daytona (0-2, 0-2) finally got to Manatees starter Damien Magnifico in the bottom of the third.

Designated hitter Bijan Rademacher doubled to deep center to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by shortstop Marco Hernandez. Right fielder Pin-Chieh Chen then pushed across the Cubs first run of the season by driving in Rademacher with a line drive double to right to cut the lead to 3-1.

After back-to-back scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth, Daytona rallied again in the sixth.

After a lead-off walk to second baseman Gioskar Amaya and a single by Chen, center fielder Albert Almora hit a hard grounder to second that Arcia couldn’t handle. The error brought home the Cubs second run and cut the lead to one.

Magnifico proceeded to walk the next batter and after first baseman Dan Vogelbach popped out to the catcher, left fielder Rock Shoulders scored Chen from third by grounding into a fielder’s choice to second.

The hard throwing right hander’s night ended there. Despite the no-decision, Magnifico had arguably his best start with the Manatees, allowing just three hits and one earned run over 5.2 innings.

Joe Ayrault
Joe Ayrault

Manager Joe Ayrault brought in right-hander Jacob Barnes to end the threat, but it was Garfield who quelled the rally.

After a first pitch strike, the California native made a snap throw over to first to pick off Shoulders and end the inning.

After Cooper’s go-ahead base hit, Ayrault went to reliever Tanner Poppe. The right-hander closed the door on the Cubs by getting top prospect Almora to groundout with the tying and go-ahead runs on base.

The Manatees will host the Cubs again on Saturday night as they play the third game of this four-game opening series. Brevard County will turn to left-hander Jed Bradley against Daytona’s right-hander Tayler Scott. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at Space Coast Stadium in Viera.