Daytona squeaks by Brevard County in series finale

Eric Hanhold
Eric Hanhold

The Daytona Tortugas and Brevard County Manatees finished their four game series on Sunday at Space Coast Stadium. The visiting Tortugas scored the decisive run in the seventh inning and held off a ninth inning rally, beating the Manatees by the score of 2-1.

Brevard County starter Eric Hanhold, who was making his first start in High-A, was outstanding and deserved a better outcome. He struck out five of the first seven Daytona batters he faced, including striking out the side in the second inning. He has only a no-decision to show for it. “Hanhold threw the ball well, said Brevard County manager Joe Ayrault. “He filled the zone, mixed his pitches well and had a plus changeup and sinker.”

The Manatees (1-3) had their chances throughout the day, starting in the first inning against ‘Tugas starter Wyatt Strahan. After striking the first two batters out, Strahan walked Dustin DeMuth. George Iskenderian singled and Dustin Houle walked to load the bases. Brandon Diaz came to the plate with the pressure on and Strahan was able to get him swinging. It wasn’t a good day for Diaz, who struck out four times. 

"It’s about staying calm,” said Ayrault, when asked about the approach at the plate for Diaz. “He got a little over anxious in there, chased some balls out of the zone. He’ll make the adjustments in the cage and trust his ability to lay off those pitches.”

Jose Cuas
Brevard County did get on the board in the second inning with a single run. Jose Cuas singled and went to second on a wild pitch. Strahan made a great play on a ball hit by Omar Garcia, who hit a line drive right back to the mound. The quick reacting hurler stuck his glove up as he was ducking out of the way and snared the ball for the out. That play would prove to be big, because Johnny Davis followed with a single and Cuas headed to the plate. Catcher Chadwick Tromp couldn’t come up with the ball cleanly and Cuas scored to give the Manatees a 1-0 lead.

Hanhold gave the run back in the top of the fourth when Brian O’Grady hit a 358-foot shot to right field, tying the game. Aristides Aquino followed with a single and it looked like Daytona was on the verge of a big inning. Manatees’ right fielder Omar Garcia changed that in a hurry. Taylor Sparks hit a deep drive in Garcia’s direction and he calmly went back on the ball, leaped up and made a great catch at the wall. Garcia alertly threw to first, as Aquino went toward second. He was doubled off and all of a sudden, there were two gone. 

Hanhold finished things with a strikeout of Avain Rachal. Hanhold started the sixth, having thrown over 60 pitches. He got two groundouts, before giving up a walk to O’Grady. After 5.2 innings, three hits and one run, Hanhold gave way to the bullpen. He finished with one walk and seven strikeouts, throwing a total of 78 pitches – 50 for strikes.

Kender Villegas (0-2) came on in relief, making his second appearance of the season. Aquino greeted him with a rocket single, but he bounced back to get Sparks on strikes. The decisive run would come in the seventh inning. With one out, Jeff Gelalich reached on an error. He scored one out later when 

Omar Garcia
Omar Garcia
Jonathan Reynoso hit one over the outstretched glove of Demuth at second and into right field. That scored Gelalich with the go-ahead run. Villegas would strike out Blake Trahan to end the inning, but his night was done and he would be tagged with his second loss of the season. Brad Kuntz would pitch the final two innings. The Manatees went down swinging in the ninth, against Jacob Ehret. With one out, Taylor Brennan singled.

Garcia then hit one back to the mound and Ehret turned and threw to second. The throw sailed and
the runners were safe at first and second. Johnny Davis then hit one in the hole on the left side, but a very alert Trahan threw to third in time to get Brennan. Angel Ortega was the Manatees last hope. He hit a ball hard and Trahan was there again, making a great throw across the diamond to get Ortega as he slid into first.

With that, the Tortugas won the series and Ehret earned his first save of the year.
“Their shortstop made two great plays there,” said Ayrault.  “The one in the hole, if that ball trickles off his glove or if he leaves his feet, Ortega is gonna be safe and it’s definitely a tie ballgame with Davis running from first. It was down to the wire for us."

For more info: Daytona @ Brevard County boxscore


The 1-3 record is obviously not where the Manatees want to be early in the season, but Ayrault is confident they can turn it around. I’m looking forward to a good road trip and hopefully we can get hot and come back here and have a winning record.” The road trip starts Monday at Fort Myers, against the Miracle. Bubba Derby is scheduled to make his first start of the season for the ‘Tees, against Randy Rosario. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p..m.

Story originally appeared on the now defunct Examiner.com on 4/10/16

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