Threshers Outslug Manatees In Series Finale
By Brevard County Manatees // August 20, 2012
Brevard Has Off Day Monday
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA – The Brevard County Manatees finished up their six-game road trip with a wild 14-13 defeat at the hands of the Clearwater Threshers on Sunday afternoon at Bright House Field.
The afternoon started with the ‘Tees (29-27 second half, 58-66 overall) getting on the board in the top of the first on a two-out, two-run single from Cody Hawn. Clearwater (29-26, 65-56) though would take a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the first and a big part of that came from homers by Zach Collier and Carlos Alonso off of Brevard’s starting pitcher Brandon Williamson (3-9, 6.15).
Brevard County would answer Clearwater’s four-run inning, with one of their own in the top of the second. Both Nick Shaw and Mike Walker recorded one-out RBI singles, as Shaw’s drove in one run and Walker’s drove in two. Shea Vucinich would close out the scoring in the inning with a sacrifice fly to right that plated Jason Rogers.
The Threshers scored four runs again in the second inning, this time all with two outs. Edgar Duran’s sacrifice fly cut Brevard’s lead to 6-5 and then Zach Collier tied the game up by reaching on an error by Vucinich, which allowed Albert Cartwright to score. Jim Murphy then blasted a two-run homer to center to give Clearwater a 8-6 lead.
Home Run
Once again, the ‘Tees would answer the Threshers’ big inning in the top of the third, thanks to a two-run homer by Juan Sanchez that tied the game at 8-8.
After two innings, Williamson’s day was over as he allowed eight runs – five of them earned – on six hits, while walking one and not recording a strikeout.
The game remained 8-8 until the top of the seventh inning, when Sanchez’s two-run double gave Brevard a 10-8 lead and then back-to-back two-out RBI singles from Rogers and Walker gave the Manatees a 12-8 lead.
Seth Harvey had relieved Williamson in the third and threw three scoreless innings, while striking out three batters. Thomas Keeling came on for the ‘Tees in the sixth and after throwing a scoreless sixth, ran into trouble in the seventh and eighth.
After a John Hill sacrifice fly in the seventh cut Brevard’s lead to 12-9, the ‘Tees were able to pad their lead to 13-9 in the eighth on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Sanchez.
Keeling retired the first two batters in the eighth but then allowed a double to Christopher Duffy and then a single by Alonso plated Duffy and made it a 13-10 game. After yielding a single to Lavin, Keeling was lifted for Greg Holle. Holle proceeded to allow back-to-back RBI singles to Harold Martinez and Cameron Rupp as Clearwater’s deficit was now cut to just one run.
Brevard was unable to plate a run in the top of the ninth as the Threshers now had a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth. Duran would strike out to lead off the inning, but would reach base on the dropped third strike as Cody Hawn could not make the catch on Joey Paciorek’s throw.
Drew Hillman then sacrificed Duran to second on a bunt and then Murphy singled to center to plate Duran, as Murphy would get all the way to third thanks to a fielding error by Reggie Keen. With the game now tied, Rogers came in from the outfield to be Brevard’s fifth infielder and Duffy was intentionally walked as the ‘Tees could now either cut the winning run off at home or turn the double play.
Comeback
Neither scenario would occur as Alonso’s single to left ended the game and completed the comeback for the Threshers. The loss capped off a 1-5 road trip for the Manatees. Brevard began the trip just one game back of first place and they will come home three games back with 13 games remaining on the regular season schedule.
Brevard County and Clearwater combined for 27 runs, 35 hits and seven errors on the wild afternoon. Brevard’s 17 hits were one shy of a season-high and the ‘Tees were 8-for-16 with runners in scoring position.
Six Manatees recorded at least two hits as Rogers tallied four and Sanchez notched three and five RBI. Walker drove in three runs and Hawn added two RBI of his own.
After an off day on Monday, the ‘Tees will be back in action at Space Coast Stadium for their final homestand of the season, beginning on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. against the Lakeland Flying Tigers (30-25, 66-54).
