DeMuth Blasts Off, Manatees Win in 16
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| DeMuth 16th Inning Home Run |
A long night at the ballpark ended well for the Brevard
County Manatees on Wednesday. Dustin DeMuth came up with one out in the bottom
of the 16th inning and banged one off the batters’ eye, for a game
winning solo homer against Travis Ballew, as the Manatees walked off against
the Jupiter Hammerheads, 4-3.
A game that was one out shy of ending in two hours and five
minutes, stretched four hours and 14 minutes, before DeMuth rewarded everyone in
the ballpark with his 411-foot blast. “DeMuth has been swinging a great bat for
us for a while now,” said Manatees skipper Joe Ayrault. “For him to come up
with the big knock, the solo bomb to center was awesome, that was a great win
for us.”
The Manatees needed a late comeback to even get to the 16th,
with the Hammerheads taking an early lead against Brevard County starter Eric
Hanhold. Dexter Kjerstad stepped to the plate with one out in the top of the
third and launched a 411-foot homer over the berm deck in left field and into
the trees. Kjerstad made it a 2-0 game in the sixth inning with an RBI single.
Despite giving up those runs, Hanhold hung in there, making
the pitches he needed too and getting some good defense behind him. Hanhold
came in with a record of 2-11, but this start may have been the one he needed
to get him headed in the right direction. He got through six, allowing six hits
and two earned runs. He walked three and struck out one. The one strikeout was
Jeremias Pineda, leading off the game. He threw 95 pitches, 55 for strikes. “It
was a solid outing and he kept us in it,” said Ayrault of his starter.
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| Wendell Rijo |
The Manatees (5-14, 28-59) got a run back in the bottom of
the sixth, against Hammerheads starter Jorgan Cavanerio. Corey Ray, who had two
of the Manatees first four hits, led off with a single. He then stole second
base. Newcomer Wendell Rijo, who was making his first home start for the
Manatees, got Ray to third on a ground out. DeMuth followed with an RBI double,
closing the gap to 2-1.
Kender Villegas took over for Hanhold to start the seventh
and pitched lights out early on, getting through the seventh and eighth without
allowing a baserunner. The Manatees offense came up with two runs in the
eighth, putting Villegas in line for the win. Jose Cuas singled and took second
on a wild pitch to start the inning. He got to third when Ray grounded out.
Rijo came up and grounded one to short, with Cuas taking off
on contact. The throw came home, but Jupiter catcher Rodrigo Vigil was too far
behind home plate when Cuas slid in to get him. That tied the game at two.
DeMuth followed with a single to right and Rijo, who was
running on the play got to third easily. An errant throw to third by John
Norwood allowed Rijo to score and put the Manatees ahead, 3-2. “Some
unbelievable baseball in this one,” said Ayrault. “For us to battle back, take
the lead 3-2 was great.”
Villegas came back out for the top of the ninth and struck
out Taylor Ard, before giving up a single to Kjerstad. Avery Romero then flew
out and the Manatees were one out away. Vigil was the last hope and he sent a
lazy fly to center. Ray was under it, but he seemed to have trouble with it and
the ball dropped. It was never touched, so there was no error, but it did allow
Kjerstad to score and tie the game at three.
The thought that Ray likely lost the ball was confirmed by
Ayrault. “Just some real tough luck, he said. “Twilight, it’s a real tough sky
around that time for the ball to fall in and allowing the tying run to score.
Villegas threw the ball well, just the one tough luck run there.”
Villegas pitched three innings, allowing two hits and the
one run. It was an earned run, because the ball to center was a double.
Definitely a tough earned run to take, but he walked just one and struck three,
throwing 27 of his 41 pitches for strikes.
Jon Olczak came in behind Villegas and gave his manager 3.2
innings of one hit baseball. He walked three and struck out four. He threw 64
pitches, 39 for strikes. “That’s probably the longest outing Olczak has had
this season,” said Ayrault. “He kept us in it.”
Josh Uhen (1-3) took the final 3.1 frames and did a great
job, getting help from his defense, as all the Manatees pitchers did on this
night. The play of the night on the defensive end came in the top of the 16th,
when Pineda hit a shot to short that Rijo barehanded and flipped to second,
starting a successful double play.
“Pitching and defense really kept us in this game,” said
Ayrault. “Rijo made numerous plays including that bare hand play. Tough hop,
the ball kicked up for a 4-6-3 inning ender.”
That allowed DeMuth to come up in the bottom of the 16th
and end it with his sixth home run of the season. DeMuth, who went 3-for-6 in
the game is now hitting an impressive .340 in July. Ray went 2-for-7 with a run
scored and Jose Cuas had two hits and a run scored.
For more info: Jupiter
@ Brevard County boxscore
The Manatees got some great defense from Rijo at second and
got stellar play from their former
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| Wendell Rijo barehand play |
Iskenderian started at third over the weekend in Bradenton
and has settled in nicely as Ayrault discussed. The move was triggered by the
acquisition of Rijo last week by the big club in Milwaukee.
“You get a guy like
Wendell Rijo in a trade, you see how he played second base. It’s just one of
those deals, Ayrault said. “As a player, adding value to yourself by being able
to play multiple positions is an asset. Especially to be able to play at the
higher levels.”
The series continues Thursday, with Kodi Medeiros (4-7, 5.29
ERA) scheduled to take the hill for the Manatees. First pitch is set for 6:35
p.m.
This article originally appeared on 27OutsBaseball.com on 7/13/16
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