Manatees Sweep Doubleheader From Daytona
By Brevard County Manatees // July 26, 2012
Brevard County Now Faces Fort Myers
DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – A two-run single by Brent Dean in the bottom of the seventh broke a scoreless tie as the Brevard County Manatees shutout the Daytona Cubs, 3-0 in the second game of Wednesday night’s doubleheader at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
The Manatees have played three doubleheaders in the month of July and have swept all three.
Eric Marzec (1-2, 2.45) got the spot start for the ‘Tees (19-14 second half, 48-53 overall) and blanked Daytona (13-20, 43-58) for five innings as he allowed just two hits and two walks, while fanning five. In his two spot starts this season, Marzec has thrown nine scoreless innings and has allowed just four hits, while striking out 11 hitters.
Daytona starter Frank Del Valle was just as impressive as he allowed one hit and three walks in five innings of work.
With Cubs closer Scott Weismann entering the game in the top of the seventh, Brock Kjeldgaard greeted him with a single to left to lead off the inning. Cody Hawn then singled to right to put two on with no outs. Hector Gomez then stepped in and was trying to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but Weismann got behind on him and Daytona decided to walk Gomez and set up a force at any base.
Regrets
Dean would make the Cubs regret that decision as he chopped a single to left field that scored Kjeldgaard and Hawn and gave Brevard a 2-0 lead. After a sacrifice bunt from Nick Shaw, the ‘Tees would manufacture another run on a sacrifice fly by Reggie Keen to make it 3-0.
Alan Williams, who entered the game in the sixth and threw a scoreless inning, looked the end the evening in the seventh. After allowing a one-out walk, Williams would do just that as he retired the side and the Manatees evened up their season series with the Cubs 8-8.
Brevard County scored four runs in the second inning and never looked back as they took the first game of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Daytona Cubs by the score of 6-4 at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
After falling behind 2-0, the Manatees (18-14 second half, 47-53 overall) started the second inning with a single by Mike Walker and a walk drawn by Brock Kjeldgaard. A ground out by Cody Hawn advanced Walker and Kjeldgaard 90 feet each and then a walk by Shea Vucinich loaded the bases.
Joey Paciorek then stepped in and cleared the bases with a double to center to give the ‘Tees a 3-2 lead. Paciorek would advance to third on a sacrifice bunt by John Dishon and then come home on a RBI single off the bat of Nick Shaw as Brevard took a 4-2 lead.
Answer
Reggie Keen would lead off the third inning with his second homer of the season to make it a 5-2 game, but Daytona (13-19, 43-57) answered back in the bottom of the frame with two runs of their own on a home run by Rafael Lopez off of Brooks Hall (4-3, 4.33), as the ‘Tees advantage was cut to just one run.
Hall went just three innings, which was his second shortest start of the season. He gave up four runs on four hits, while walking four and did not record a strikeout.
Thomas Keeling came in for Hall and threw three scoreless innings as he was able to pitch around two hits and three walks to keep the Cubs off the scoreboard.
A two-out single by Walker in the fourth would score Shaw and give the ‘Tees a 6-4 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.
Following Keeling’s three shutout innings, Brevard’s closer Casey Medlen shut the door in the ninth to earn his 15th save of the season. Medlen is now three saves away from tying Brevard County’s single-season save record of 18, which was set by Rob Wooten in 2009.
Shaw, Walker and Jason Rogers all recorded two hits for the ‘Tees in the first game of the double dip.
The Manatees will now hit the road for a four-game series with the Fort Myers Miracle (16-18, 44-57), beginning on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. The Manatees took three of four from the Miracle in the middle of May.
Brandon Williamson (2-7, 6.71) will get the ball for the ‘Tees in the series opener. In his only other start against Fort Myers, Williamson allowed just one unearned run in five innings of work and struck out five back on May 19.
The Miracle will counter with Tom Stuifbergen (3-3, 5.34). Stuifbergen has not been defeated in his last five starts.
