DeMuth, Brennan Go Deep in Win Over Lakeland


Dustin DeMuth
Dustin DeMuth
The Brevard County Manatees got home runs from Dustin DeMuth and Taylor Brennan Tuesday night, carrying them to a come-from-behind 7-4 win over the Lakeland Flying Tigers, at Henley Field. 

DeMuth’s homer was part of a three hit, five RBI night. Johnny Davis had the only other multi-hit night for the visitors, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

For the third time in the month of March, the Manatees welcomed a Major League rehabber into the clubhouse. On March 10th it was second baseman Scooter Gennett, on March 24th pitcher Will Smith came down for a few days and Tuesday night, it was pitcher Corey Knebel.

Knebel started the game and pitched one inning, giving up a walk and a single. He struck out Mike Gerber to end the inning, one of two strikeouts he had. He faced five batters, throwing 24 pitches, 14 for strikes.

Angel Ventura (1-2) who was the Manatees scheduled starter, took over in the second inning. Ventura walked Joey Pankake and Zach Shepherd to start his night and after recording an out, Ventura threw a pitch that Manatees’ catcher Adam Weisenburger couldn’t handle. The passed ball allowed both runners to move up.

Wade Hinkle then reached on an error by second baseman George Iskenderian, who was activated from the disabled list earlier in the day. The throwing error allowed Pankake to score the first run of the game. Ventura came back to get Ross Kivett to ground into an inning ending double play, limiting the damage. Unfortunately for Ventura, Pankake and Shepherd were at it again in the third inning, as both guys had RBI singles in the frame, upping the Flying Tigers lead to 3-0 after three innings.

Brevard County (17-34) got on the board in the fourth, when DeMuth took Lakeland starter Jeff Thompson deep over the left-center field wall, with two outs, closing the gap to 3-1. Lakeland (27-24) answered in the bottom of the fifth. Ventura gave up back-to-back singles to start the inning and one out later, issued a walk to Pankake, loading the bases.

After Shepherd flew out to Clint Coulter in foul territory, Ventura uncorked a wild pitch with Grayson Greiner in the box and Christin Stewart scored to make it 4-1. Ventura made it through the fifth inning, but the numbers weren’t up to his standards. He allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits, walking four and striking out one. He threw 87 pitches, 48 for strikes.

Taylor Brennan
Taylor Brennan
The Manatees offense would pick him up in the sixth inning. Thompson issued walks to Taylor Brennan and Johnny Davis, prompting Gabe Hemmer to be called in from the Lakeland bullpen. Angel Ortega greeted him with a bunt single. Loading the bases. DeMuth came through with a single to left, scoring two and making it a 4-3 game. One out later, Weisenburger drew a walk, re-loading the bases. Hemmer regrouped and got Iskenderian to ground into an inning ending double play.

Brevard County struck again in the seventh. With one out and one on, Brennan hit his second home run of the season and just like that, the Manatees took their first lead of the night, 5-4 and they were not done. Davis singled and stole second, before Angel Ortega walked. Both would come home on a 

DeMuth two-run double, his 11th of the year. That was the end of the night for Hemmer, who gave way to Confesor Lara. Coulter reached on an error, meaning that seven straight Manatees reached. Lara finally recorded the last two outs of the inning after that.

Junior Rincon took over for Ventura in the seventh, giving up a two out triple to Gerber, but nothing more. Rincon got the first out in the eighth, before giving up back-to-back walks. Manatees manager Joe Ayrault didn’t allow things to escalate, as he brought in former Lakeland reliever Gage Smith, who the Tigers released on May 14, to pitch against his old team. He got Kivett to fly out and A.J. Simcox to ground out, ending the inning.

Smith stayed on to pitch the bottom of the ninth, giving up only a two-out single to Gerber, earning his first save of the season.  Of the 23 pitches he threw, 13 were strikes. It had to feel pretty good for Smith to have that kind of performance against his former teammates.

For more info: Brevard County @ Lakeland boxscore


Game two of the series is set for Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Jon Perrin (0-2,2.74 ERA) will take the mound for Brevard County, against Endrys Briceno (1-3, 7.23 ERA).

This article originally appeared on the now defunct Examiner.com on 5/31/16

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