Eshleman Smacks Walk-off Homer in Doubleheader Split
Viera, Fla. - Baseball was at its most exciting and unpredictable on Tuesday night as the Brevard County Manatees (6-6) and Lakeland Flying Tigers (4-9) split a doubleheader, 4-3 and 8-6 at Space Coast Stadium.
The Manatees opened the scoring in the third inning of Game 1. Clint Coulter, who had prevented Lakeland from scoring in the previous inning when he threw Dominic Ficociello at the plate to complete an inning-ending double play, deposited a Matt Davenport pitch into the Flying Tiger bullpen to give Brevard County a 1-0 lead. It was Coulter's fourth home run of the season, and third in the last five games.
The lead would hold until the Flying Tigers mounted a rally in the top of the fifth. It started with an infield single by Francisco Martinez, who would advance on a Jared Reaves single to left. That would bring the number-nine hitter, Ben Verlander. During the opening pitches of the at-bat, Verlander appeared to be squaring up to sacrifice, however Lakeland manager had him pull the bat back; Wei-Chung Wang, still expecting the bunt, left one over the plate and Verlander launched a three-run homer, his first of the season, onto the berm deck in left. Wang would retire the next three hitters, closing what would be his final inning of work. In those five innings, he gave up three runs on seven hits, struck out three and walked none in a no-decision.
The 'Tees would come storming back immediately, keyed by a leadoff double off of the wall in right by Chris McFarland. After Taylor Brennan struck out, Coulter would double to center, making it 3-2 Lakeland. Victor Roache then followed with a single to right to bring Brevard County level that chased Lakeland starting pitcher Jonathan Maciel from the game in the process. The Manatees appeared to take the lead against reliever Confesor Lara (1-0, 1.08 ERA) when Brandon Macias singled down the left field line to bring home Roache, but the Flying Tigers contested that Roache did not touch third base as he came home and the umpires ruled they were correct. Manatees manager Joe Ayrault was ejected for arguing the call. After Garrett Cooper walked, Cameron Garfield's strikeout meant the inning would end tied at three.
The call would loom large when in the next half-inning, Ficociello ripped a home run to right center off of rehabbing Brewers reliever Jim Henderson (0-1, 4.50 ERA) to put Lakeland in front, 4-3.
Brevard County would get one last chance to equalize in the bottom of the seventh against Zac Reininger. Brennan opened with an infield single and then moved to second on a one-out single by Roache, but when Brandon Macias lined out to second and Cooper flied out to center, the Flying Tigers had stolen Game one.
The ever-changing momentum that filled the final three innings of that game would dominate Game two.
The Flying Tigers took the lead three batters in when top prospect Steven Moya hit an opposite-field home run into the bullpen in left to put Lakeland in front, 1-0.
The Manatee offense continued its resurgence in the bottom half with McFarland once again lighting the touchpaper with a leadoff single to right and promptly stole second with Brennan at the plate. Brennan flared a single to right with the runner at second holding as he judged to see whether it would fall in. Coulter then hit a ball towards Francisco Martinez, who overthrew first base, allowing both McFarland and Brennan to score and Coulter to advance to second. Following a strikeout by Roache, Macias would double to left, plating Coulter to make it 3-1. After a lineout to third by Rafael Neda, a walk to Paul Eshleman and a pop out to second by Steven Halcomb, the frame came to a close.
Lakeland would respond immediately in the top of the third against Manatees starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff. Reaves reached on an infield single and moved to second on a walk to Drew Longley. Following a strikeout by Jiwan James, Javier Bentancourt singled to right to load the bases. Woodruff then struck out Moya on a call that led to the ejection of Lakeland manager Dave Huppert. It appeared the 'Tees would escape further damage when Woodruff induced a groundball from Bobby Borchering to first, but Brennan's throw to Woodruff at the bag would go wide and Reaves and Longley wouldcome around to cut the Manatee lead to second. The inning ended shortly after when Borchering would get thrown out on a botched double steal
Lakeland's charge would continue in the fourth, started by a Ficociello single to center. Raph Rhymes then singled to center, but he would be erased on a fielder's choice as Martinez beat the throw to first. After Reaves strikeout, Longley singled on a floater to center to bring home Ficociello and Martinez to make it 5-5. A Jiwan James flyout to left would keep the score at that temporarily.
The Flying Tigers appeared to land the deciding blow in the top of the fifth thanks to a two-out rally. Following a Bentancourt flyout and a Moya strikeout, Borchering singled to right and then moved to second on a walk to Ficociello. Raph Rhymes then worked a lengthy at-bat against Woodruff, fouling off several 2-2 pitches before finally getting his reward, a ground-rule double down the left field line to put Lakeland ahead 6-5. Trevor Seidenberger would come on in relief of Woodruff to get the final out of the inning and then threw a scoreless sixth, despite allowing the first two batters to reach.
The 'Tees looked primed to tie it once again in the home half of the fifth when Coulter singled to center on the first pitch from Micah Kellogg. After Roache popped out to third, Macias singled to center, leading Kellogg to be replaced by Scott Sitz (0-1, 7.36 ERA). Neda would welcome him with a single to center, loading the bases for Eshleman. The threat would be extinguished when he grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
After a relatively uneventful sxth inning, Brevard County was down to their final three outs against Sitz and the outlook was not promising when Coulter lined out to second to start the final inning of regulation. Then, the reprieve came just in time, as Roache hit his third home run of the season to right center, assuring the 'Tees of at least extra innings. After a long fly out to right by Macias, Neda reached on a ball that got away from Reaves at shortstop; Neda would be lifted for pinch-runner Angel Ortega. That brought Eshleman, playing in his first game with the team after being added to the roster earlier in the day, to the plate with a chance to win it. He couldn't have picked a better time to get his first hit in a Manatee uniform as he smacked one down the line and over the wall in left for a walk-off, two-run home run to give the Manatees an 8-6 win.
Woodruff wound up throwing 4.2 innings, giving up six runs (four earned) on eight hits, walking 2 and striking out 7. Stephen Peterson (2-0, 1.59 ERA) picked up his second win in relief in three games by tossing a scoreless seventh inning.
There will be no rest for the weary as the two teams will play the rubber match of the series Wednesday morning at 10:35 A.M. RHP Javi Salas (1-1, 0.69 ERA) will look to earn the Manatees their second straight series win. Left-hander Ryan Longstreth (0-2, 7.04 ERA) will get the start for the Flying Tigers.