Flying Tigers Ground Manatees In Doubleheader
By Brevard County Manatees // August 23, 2012
Matt Miller Starts For Brevard Tonight
BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA, FLORIDA – The Brevard County Manatees were swept in Wednesday’s doubleheader at Space Coast Stadium by the Lakeland Flying Tigers as both games ended with the final score of 3-2. The ‘Tees have now lost six straight games to Lakeland.
GAME ONE: Lakeland 3, Brevard County 2 (8 innings)
Down 1-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning of game one, Shea Vucinich led the frame off with a single. Two batters later, Brevard would take the lead thanks to a two-run homer to left from Parker Berberet.
The lead would be short-lived however as a two-out RBI single from Hernan Perez off of Greg Holle tied the game at 2-2. The ‘Tees were unable to win it in the bottom of the inning as the seven-inning game into extras.
Alan Williams replaced Holle to start the eighth and he allowed a lead-off single to Marcus Lemon, who would then go to second on a sacrifice bunt. After hitting Tyler Collins with a pitch, Williams was able to force Wade Gaynor to fly out to left for the second out of the inning.
Luis Castillo then entered the game as a pinch hitter for the left-handed Matt Perry and the strategy worked as Castillo singled to left to plate Lemon. Castillo though would be thrown out trying to stretch it into a double as the inning came to an end.
Brevard was unable to extend the game as a two-out single by Cody Hawn put the tying run on base, but Berberet grounded out to second to end it.
Drew Gagnon (0-2, 3.15) got the start for the ‘Tees and pitched well as he allowed just one run on three hits in five innings of work. The only run he allowed came on a solo homer by Tyler Collins to lead off the fourth. Gagnon struck out five and walked just one as he is still winless in ten starts with Brevard.
The Manatees tallied nine hits, including two each from Nick Shaw and Hawn, but Brevard County went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.
GAME TWO: Lakeland 3, Brevard County 2
The Flying Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the first inning off of ‘Tees starting pitcher Nick Bucci (1-2, 1.93) on a two-out, two-run single off the bat of Adolfo Reina.
Even though those would be the only runs that Lakeland would score off of Bucci, he struggled with his command in his five innings of work as he walked six batters. Bucci allowed just the three singles in the first inning, while striking out five.
Brevard cut Lakeland’s lead in half in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Reggie Keen that plated Joey Paciorek, who led the inning off with a single.
The Flying Tigers though would plate an insurance run off of Eric Arnett in the top of the sixth as James Robbins hit an opposite field, solo homer to lead off the inning and give Lakeland a 3-1 lead.
Paciorek led the bottom of the seventh off with a single and would score on a two-out single by Keen to make it a 3-2 lead but it was too little, too late as Keen was picked off while Nick Shaw was at the plate to end the game.
Paciorek was a perfect 3-for-3 in the second game of the double dip, while Mike Walker added two hits as well.
The two losses dropped the Manatees to 3.5 games back of first place in the jumbled North Division race. Brevard will look to snap a three-game losing streak in the series finale with the Flying Tigers on Thursday night at 6:35 p.m.
Matt Miller (1-1, 10.00) will get the ball for the ‘Tees, while Warwick Saupold (2-1, 3.27) is scheduled to start for Lakeland.
