Fort Myers pounds out 13 hits in win over Manatees
Kodi Medeiros |
The Brevard County Manatees finished a four-game series
against the Fort Myers Miracle on Thursday and they’ll be very glad to put this
one in the rearview mirror. The Miracle struck for three runs in the first
inning and never looked back, en route to a 7-2 victory at Hammond Stadium.
They also overcame a season high five errors.
Brevard County starter Kodi Medeiros made his
second start and just didn’t have the control he displayed in his first
outing. Tanner English led off the bottom of the first with a home
run to left-center field. It was the first home run Medeiros allowed in over 98
innings of work, according to Miracle broadcaster Brice Zimmerman.
Alex Swim would reach on an error and move to second on a
Trey Vavra single. Chris Paul, making his Miracle debut followed with an RBI
double, giving Fort Myers a 2-0 lead and moving Vavra to third. He would score
on a Chad Christensen single to make it 3-0.
Clint Coulter would start the
Manatees’ second inning with a single, but they would strand two runners in the
frame against Fort Myers starter Kohl Stewart. He kept the Sea Cows at bay
for much of the night, allowing only the hit to Coulter in his six innings of
work. Brevard County tally three hits the rest of the night, against the
Miracle bullpen.
The Miracle (5-3) would add a single run in the fourth.
Medeiros allowed a single to Austin Diemer, who stole second base before
Medeiros walked Alex Swim. That was the end of the night for the Manatees starter,
who gave way to Kender Villegas, after 3.2 innings.
Logan Wade greeted Villegas
with a single, plating Swim and adding another run to Medeiros line. He allowed
four runs (three earned) on seven hits, walked three and struck out three. 46
of his 79 pitches were strikes. Villegas would give up a run of his own in the
sixth, due in large part to his throwing error on a bunt single by English that
allowed him to go to second. English would move to third on a wild pitch and
later scored on an Alex Swim single, making it 5-0 in favor of the home team.
Blake Allemand |
The Manatees (2-6) got something going in the seventh
against Miracle reliever Raul Fernandez. George Iskenderian drew a one out walk
and went to third on a Blake Allemand single. The threat was quickly erased when
Taylor Brennan grounded into an inning ending double play. The Miracle added a
run in the bottom of the inning when Brian Navarreto ended his 0-for the season
slump with an RBI double, giving his team a 6-0 lead.
Brevard County answered back in the top of the eighth when
Johnny Davis, who singled earlier in the inning, came home on a Dustin DeMuth
ground out. It was the first run for the Manatees since the eighth inning of
game two of the series, a drought that spanned 17 innings. DeMuth advanced to second
on a throwing error, but would not go any further.
Kaleb Earls took the mound
in the eighth for the Manatees and had a night to forget. He committed two
balks in the inning, resulting in Fort Myers’ final run of the night. He was on
the mound for the final out of the inning, but was tossed from the proceedings
in the ninth, by home plate umpire Justin Robinson.
For more info: Brevard
County @ Fort Myers boxscore
The good news for the Manatees is that they don’t have much
time to dwell on this one. They will play in the third annual Jackie Robinson
Celebration Game on Friday, against the St. Lucie Mets. The game will be played
in Vero Beach at Historic Dodgertown. Corey Oswalt (0-0, 16.88) will get the
start for the Mets, with Brevard County yet to name a starter. First pitch is
set for 6:30 p.m.
Story originally appeared on the now defunct Examiner.com on 4/14/16
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