Manatees Drop Series Finale To Clearwater

By  //  July 10, 2012

Bradenton Next Opponent

BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA, FLORIDA – The Brevard County Manatees were doubled up by the Clearwater Threshers 8-4 on Monday night at Space Coast Stadium in the finale of a three-game set.

Reggie Keen was 3-for-3 with a run scored out of the leadoff spot for Brevard against Clearwater on Monday. (Image courtesy Brevard County Manatees)

‘Tees starter Andy Moye (4-1, 4.67) was looking to improve to 5-0 with Brevard and 8-0 overall in 2012 but the long ball by Clearwater did him in. Moye allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings of work, while fanning seven.

Three of those runs came on homers as Jim Murphy went deep for a two-run homer in the fourth and Harold Martinez led off the fifth with a solo shot.

Moye departed the game with the Manatees (10-8 second half, 39-47 overall) down 4-3 but things got out of hand in the top of the seventh. After retiring the first batter of the inning, Greg Holle – who was in his second inning of work – allowed back-to-back singles to Carlos Alonso and Peter Lavin. Holle then walked Murphy to load the bases.

Clearwater (11-8, 47-38) catcher Cameron Rupp then put the Threshers up big as he took Holle’s 1-2 offering over center field fence for a grand slam as Clearwater took an 8-3 lead.

A solo homer by Cody Hawn in the bottom of the ninth was his ninth of the season but it was too little, too late for the Manatees as they finished their six-game homestand with a 3-3 record.

Reggie Keen was 3-for-3 with a run scored out of the leadoff spot for Brevard. Keen has had at least two hits in three of his last four games and is hitting .303 since the All-Star break.

After a league-wide off day on Tuesday, the Manatees will hit the road for an eight-game road trip. Their first stop will be a four-game series with the Bradenton Marauders (11-8, 40-49) beginning on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

Drew Gagnon (0-0, 2.25) will get his third start as a Manatee on Wednesday. Gagnon has had quality starts in his first two outings with Brevard.

Bradenton will counter with southpaw Colton Cain (3-5, 4.31). Cain is 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA in four starts since the All-Star break.