Stone Crabs Complete Doubleheader Sweep of Manatees

Dustin DeMuth
Dustin DeMuth

With a win under their belt in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Charlotte Stone Crabs went into game two, looking for the sweep. They did just that, with the help of starting pitcher Benton Moss, who allowed three hits in six-plus innings, earning the home team a 3-2 win at Charlotte Sports Park.

Moss (5-7) allowed a leadoff double to Corey Ray in the first. After Blake Allemand bunted him to third, Dustin DeMuth plated him with a sacrifice bunt, putting the Manatees ahead early, 1-0. That lead didn’t last long, as the Stone Crabs got to Manatees starter Eric Hanhold (2-12) in the bottom of the frame.

Jake Cronenworth walked to start things and went to third on a single by Andrew Velazquez, that went off of Allemand’s glove at second. A wild pitch moved Velazquez to second. Joe McCarthy’s sac fly eventually Cronenworth home with the tying run. Grant Kay followed with a single, scoring Velazquez and giving Charlotte a 2-1 lead.

Hanhold would give up the eventual winning run in the bottom of the third, as his control left him. Alec Sole walked and went to second on a passed ball. Kay dropped down a sac bunt, moving both runners up and Riley Unroe got the run home with an RBI ground out. Hanhold got the last out of the inning, but his night was done after just three innings.

All three runs on Hanhold’s ledger were earned and came on just four Stone Crab hits. He walked four batters and didn’t get a strikeout, suffering his eighth loss in his last 10 games. He threw 48 pitches, with just 23 being strikes. Zach Hirsch relieved him in the fourth and pitched pretty well.
Meanwhile, Moss was on his game. He kept the Manatees in check until the fourth inning, when George Iskenderian hit a home run to left, closing the gap to 3-2. It was the first hit Moss allowed since Ray’s first inning double.

In the fifth inning, Charlotte likely would have added a run, had it not been for right fielder Clint Coulter. Velazquez hit a ball to right that Coulter got a bit of a late break on. He got there, but the ball fell out of his glove. Velazquez decided to take off for second, which backfired when Coulter threw a strike to Jose Cuas and got the out. That would prove to be a big play, as Sole would double in the next at bat and steal third later in the inning. Hirsch got the final out on a ground ball, stranding him there.

Moss got through the sixth, before running into some trouble in the final inning. Dustin Houle singled with one out and left in favor of pinch-runner Fidel Pena. Jose Cuas drew a walk and the Manatees had runners at first and second with one out. That was the end of the line for Moss, who gave way to 2015 Stone Crabs closer, Brad Schreiber. It ended up being the right call, as he struck out Malik Collymore and Corey Ray, to end the game.

For more info: Brevard County @ Charlotte boxscore (game 2)

Brevard County (10-19, 33-64) and Charlotte (15-13, 48-49) will wrap up this four game series on Sunday, with a 12:35 game. 19-year-old Marcos Diplan will get his second start for the Manatees.

 This article originally appeared on 27OutsBaseball.com on 7/23/16


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