Manatees Road Series Recap: Sarasota
Wednesday, the Manatees pitched their third consecutive shutout, winning 5-0. Lucas Luetge (3-3) earned the win with five strong innings, and the Manatees' bullpen added four scoreless innings. Steffan Wilson launched his fifth home run, and Sergio Miranda contributed with a two-run double.
Brevard County extended their win streak to four with a bizarre 7-6 victory in 14 innings on Thursday night. The Manatees' 33-inning scoreless streak finally ended when Sarasota scored twice in the third inning. After closer Rob Wooten blew his first save of the season, the Manatees rallied to send the game to extra innings. Catcher/infielder Brett Whiteside (1-0) picked up the victory as a pitcher for the Manatees, with a shockingly strong outing, allowing just one hit in three innings of emergency relief. Whiteside also accomplished the rare feat of playing on both sides of the battery in one game, as he moved from the mound to behind the plate to catch the final inning. Lee Haydel led the Manatees with four hits and two RBI, including the game-winning double.
Sarasota bounced back to win Friday's game, 5-4, in 10 innings. John Axford (4-1) was unable to convert a save opportunity, and took his first loss of the season. Zelous Wheeler hit his fifth homer of the year, and Haydel added three more hits.
Brevard County earned the series win on Saturday, cruising to a 6-3 victory. New addition Michael Bowman (1-0) got the win in his first start, allowing just two runs in six innings. Caleb Gindl (5) and Martin Maldonado (1) each homered, and Wilson tacked on three RBI.
After Sunday's rainout, the Manatees open a four-game set with the Charlotte Stone Crabs with a doubleheader on Monday. Leading by 10.5 games with just over two weeks left in the first half, the Manatees have an opportunity to clinch the first half title with a strong series.