Manuel Strikes Out Fifteen In Geneva’s 2-1 Win

There’s good pitching, great pitching, and the level of extreme brilliance that only certain pitchers can reach. Taking the mound on Thursday afternoon, Genvea’s Austin Manuel joined that exclusive club with a fifteen-strikeout, complete-game 2-1 district win over the Brevard HEAT. Throwing 115 pitches in the win and providing a boost on offense, Manuel showed fans in attendance just what the definition of a work horse is.

If there were any worries about Manuel entering the game against a solid Heat offense, then they were likely washed away as the senior recorded his fist six — and seven of the first nine — outs via strikeouts. Though Manuel walked into trouble at times, allowing six hits and walking two, the 6’1″ right-hander didn’t have an inning in which he gave up two hits after the first. Manuel was fantastic when it came to hitting the strike zone, as not only did he throw just 22 balls on the night, but 22 of the 29 men that came to the plate against him started with an 0-1 count. In other words, the number of hitters that were down 0-1 just after one pitch was the same number as the amount of balls Manuel threw in the win.

Most of all, Manuel served as a reminder that despite the Knights’ slow start to the season, there may still be hope for Bob Down’s squad as the season moves on.

“Austin was fabulous tonight,” Down said. “He had great command and showed some terrific poise working around some bad defense.”

Manuel also had a fantastic day at the plate, notching three hits and having three quality at-bats in the victory. Luckily for the senior, he had a lead as soon as he took the mound thanks to Penn Sefton’s first inning RBI single that brought leadoff hitter Even Zirbel around to score, after a seven-pitch walk to start the ball game. Geneva later added a run in the third inning when Zirbel singled with one out to score John Halloran, who’d reached base after taking one for the team and getting hit by a pitch.

Though he did not start for the Heat on Thursday, Brevard reliever Caleb Tuggle certainly kept his team in the game with four scoreless innings out of the bullpen in which he struck out four and allowed just one walk. The Heat scored their one run against Manuel in the sixth inning when Christian MacConnell singled to drive in Francisco Trujillo, but that’d be all they could manage to do against the Knights’ star right-hander.

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