Coulter Celebrates His Birthday with Three RBI Night

Clint Coulter
Clint Coulter
Manatees right fielder Clint Coulter celebrated his birthday in style Saturday, knocking in three of the Manatees four runs. Unfortunately, Brevard County couldn’t hold the lead, losing to the visiting Stone Crabs 6-4 on Star Wars Night.

Charlotte (52-51) jumped in front in the top of the first, against Manatees starter Kodi Medeiros. They were helped on an error committed by Wendell Rijo at second base, allowing Andrew Velazquez to reach with one out. After a ground out moved him to third, Velazquez scored on a single by Grant Kay.

The Manatees (10-25, 33-70) bounced right back against Charlotte starter Steve Ascher, in the bottom of the first. Corey Ray reached on an infield single and Blake Allemand hit a high chopper to third, that went off the glove of a leaping Velazquez. That brought Coulter to the plate and he put a charge into one, that bounced into the corner. By the time it was dug out, both runs had scored and Coulter pulled into third and had 3,036 Space Coast Stadium fans on their feet.

Kodi Medeiros
Kodi Medeiros
The lead was short-lived, as the Stone Crabs sent nine to the plate in the top of the second. With the first two batters on and one out, Charlotte pulled off a double steal. Thomas Milone then walked, to load the bases. Mac Seibert followed with a sacrifice fly to Ray in center, making it 3-2. Ray attempted to throw to second, hoping to double the runner off, but he was offline and James moved to third on the error.

MLB-rehabber Desmond Jennings tied the game at three with an RBI single and then was part of another double steal, again putting runners at second and third. Velazquez was then hit by a pitch, loading the bases for the second time in the inning. Jake Cronenworth got an easy RBI, drawing a walk and putting his team up 4-3.

“They just took advantage of our miscues early,” said Manatees manager Joe Ayrault. “The one in the first led to a run and then scored three more. If we would’ve had the runner doubled off at second base, it would’ve been 4-0 through three innings and would’ve been a definite different ballgame.”

Coulter did his part again in the bottom of the third. With two outs, George Iskenderian walked and Coulter knocked him in with a triple off the right field wall, tying the game, 4-4. Elvis Rubio left him stranded when he flew out to end the inning.

“It was a good game for him,” said Ayrault when asked about Coulter. “A couple triples, three RBIs on his birthday, good game for him.”

Medeiros recovered nicely from that rough second inning, getting through five and allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits. He walked three and struck out four, before giving way to Gage Smith to start the sixth.

“He bounced back (after the rough second inning), but It’s just one of those things,” said Ayrault of Medeiros. “You commit an error and you have to be able to put hitters away. The defense didn’t help him out in this one.”

Gage Smith
Gage Smith
Smith (1-2) threw one bad pitch to Velazquez in the seventh and it proved costly, as it went for a triple. Cronenworth then hit a line drive back to the mound that Smith got a glove on, but it was hit hard enough that it went into center field and put Charlotte back on top, 5-4.

They would add a run in the ninth when Jennings took Jon Olczak deep over the left field wall, putting the cap on a 6-4 win. Brevard County’s struggles with runners in scoring position continued, despite the early runs. The team loaded the bases in the fifth and came up empty and had a couple runners on base in other innings that didn’t score. The end result was a 2-for-12 night with runners in scoring position and eight men left on base.

Mitch Ghelfi, who was taken out of Tuesday’s game after being hit in the eye on a short-hop throw at first, was back in the lineup Saturday and got his first swings at the Advanced-A level. He was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Mitch Ghelfi
Mitch Ghelfi
“He’s got a few ABs now, but it’s just one of those things,” said Ayrault. “He’s getting acclimated to the league and hopefully he’s seeing better out of that eye he got hit in.”

For more info: Charlotte @ Brevard County boxscore

The series continues Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Cody Ponce will start for the Manatees.




This article originally appeared on 27OutsBaseball.com on 7/30/16

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