Brevard County Manatees Fall Short At Home To Daytona Tortugas, 2-1
By Brevard County Manatees // April 11, 2016
BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA, FLORIDA – Heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, the Brevard County Manatees trailed the Daytona Tortugas 2-1.
With two on with one out, a ground ball to the left side by Johnny Davis looked like it might get through the hole. However, Daytona shortstop Blake Trahan made a backhand play, and got the lead runner Taylor Brennan out at third.
With two outs in the inning, Angel Ortega got in a two-strike hole, but grounded a ball up the middle. Trahan made another play on the ball, this time going to his left, and threw the sliding Ortega out at first base to secure the Tortugas 2-1 victory.
The Manatees did have their chances throughout the game, loading the bases in the bottom of the first inning with two outs.
One inning later, Brevard scored its lone run, after a lead off walk to Jose Cuas and a wild pitch with one out put a runner at second. Johnny Davis then ripped a single to center to score Cuas and give the Manatees a 1-0 lead. The second was one of just four innings in which Brevard got the lead off batter to first, and in total the Manatees left 10 runners on base.
Daytona tied the game in the top of the fourth, as Brian O’Grady led off the inning by hitting a home run over the right field wall. Then, with a runner on first, a ball hit to deep right by Taylor Sparks looked like it might be extra bases. But the outstretched glove of Omar Garcia allowed him to make a leaping catch against the wall, and with a quick relay throw back to first, the Manatees recorded a double play.
Manatees’ starter Eric Hanhold then ended the Daytona threat, with a strike out to end the inning.
Hanhold held the Tortugas to just the one run in 5 2/3 innings, giving up three hits, walking one and striking out seven. He gave way to Kender Villegas in the bottom of the sixth, who after inheriting a runner and giving up a single, struck out Sparks to end the inning.
Daytona, however, got to Villegas in the seventh. With one out, an error by Dustin DeMuth allowed Jeff Geliach to reach base. Back-to-back singles by Blake Butler and Jonathan Reynoso then allowed Geliach to score, to give the Tortugas the final advantage.
Villegas took the loss for the Manatees (1-3), while Evan Mitchell picked up the win and Jacbo Ehret recorded the save for Daytona (3-1).
Brevard will look to rebound this week, as it heads to Fort Myers on Monday, for a four game set with the Miracle at Hammond Stadium. Buddy Derby is set to make his first professional start with the Brewers organization Monday, after being traded from the Oakland Athletics in the offseason.
Brevard will play its next home game at Dodger Town in Vero Beach, as a part of the annual Jackie Robinson Game.
The Manatees will take on St. Lucie Mets, and then return to Space Coast Stadium on Saturday.
