Lakeland Evens Series with Win Over Manatees


Adam Weisenburger
Adam Weisenburger
The Brevard County Manatees were looking to make it two in a row at Lakeland on Wednesday, but the home team spoiled those plans, coming away with a 5-2 victory at Henley Field. The game was scoreless through three, as pitchers Jon Perrin and Endrys Briceno were able to navigate their way through the order for both sides.

Brevard County (17-35) got their first hit and first baserunner in the third. Jose Cuas was hit by a pitch and Johnny Davis singled, moving Cuas to third. Davis then stole his 16th base of the season, but the runners were stranded when Angel Ortega went down swinging. The Manatees got to Briceno starting the fourth. Dustin DeMuth, who homered in the Manatees’ victory on Tuesday, started the inning off with a single. He stole his first base of the season one out later and scored on an Adam 
Weisenburger RBI single, giving Brevard County a 1-0 lead. That lead didn’t last long, as Lakeland answered in the bottom of the inning.

The Flying Tigers (28-24) got a two out double from Mike Gerber, he went to third when Ortega was unable to handle a ball at shortstop, hit by Joey Pankake. Grayson Greiner’s single tied the ballgame. The Manatees looked to be in prime position to score again in the fifth, when Jose Cuas doubled and Johnny Davis was hit by a pitch to start the inning. That was the end of Briceno’s night, as he gave way to Calvin Drummond. Angel Ortega put Drummond to work immediately, as he dropped down a bunt that Drummond was able to pounce on. He alertly threw to third, getting Cuas. With runners still at first and second, DeMuth lined out and Clint Coulter fanned, to end the inning and come up empty in what started as a promising inning.

Lakeland took the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Ross Kivett doubled with one out and came home one out later on a Christin Stewart single, making it 2-1. Gerber continued to be a thorn in the side of the Manatees, starting the sixth inning with a triple. He was chased home on a line single to center by Greiner, giving the Flying Tigers a 3-1 lead. Wade Hinkle followed with a double, scoring Greiner and it was 4-1. The bright spot on the play was that Coulter came up throwing on that double. He got the ball to Fidel Pena, who threw a strike to Ortega covering third, in time to nail Hinkle at third.

Perrin (0-3) got through six innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on 11 hits. He walked one and struck out six, throwing 92 pitches, 61 for strikes. Josh Uhen was called on out of the bullpen to start the bottom of the seventh. He gave up back-to-back singles to A.J. Simcox and Stewart, to start the frame. Kade Scivicque grounded into a force out at second, moving the other runners up. Gerber followed with a sac fly, adding an insurance run for Lakeland, 5-1. 

Kaleb Earls took over on the mound for the Manatees in the eighth and pitched a clean inning. That gave the Manatees one last chance in the ninth, against Lakeland closer Adam Ravenelle. He got Taylor Brennan swinging, but Jose Cuas gave Brevard County life when he took Ravenelle deep and out, making it a 5-2 ballgame. Ravenelle bookended a walk Ortega with strikeouts of Davis and DeMuth, striking out the side to end the contest.

Brevard County scattered eight hits Wednesday, three of them for extra bases. Davis was the only 
Manatees’ player with two hits, going 2-for-4. Seems to be a theme this season, as he has put up quite a few multi-hit efforts to this point. Greiner led Lakeland with a 3-for-4 effort, knocking in two runs and scoring one. Simcox, Stewart and Gerber all had two-hit nights.

For more info: Brevard County @ Lakeland boxscore


The series concludes on Thursday, with Clint Terry (0-1, 2.66 ERA) getting the start for Brevard County. He will be opposed by Tyler Alexander (4-3, 1.66 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

This article originally appeared on the now defunct Examiner.com on 6/1/16

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