Bats Break Out in 12-8 Win over Fort Myers

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Marauders overcame a pair of two-run deficits Thursday night, riding a season-high 15 hits to a 12-8 win over the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels at Hammond Stadium.

A two-run double by LaRon Smith in the bottom of the first put Fort Myers (37-22) in an immediate 2-0 lead. But in the top of the third, the Marauders (27-33) took the lead. Jase Bowen plated Grant Koch with a sacrifice fly to deep center, and Sergio Campana and Brenden Dixon hit back-to-back RBI-single to put Bradenton in front, 3-2. Koch added an RBI-double in the fourth for a 4-2 Marauders lead.

But in the bottom of the fourth, the Mussels rallied against left-hander reliever Mitchell Miller, making his Single-A debut in relief of starter Anthony Solometo, who left with an apparent injury in the third. After a hit-by-pitch and two walks by Miller loaded the bases with none out, Luis Baez plated a run on a swinging bunt along the third-base line, cutting the Marauders’ lead to one run. Sergio Umana (1-0) then took over for Miller and got Zach Huffins to line into a double play, bringing Bradenton within an out of escaping the jam. But Mikey Perez followed with a go-ahead, two-run double to left, and Rubel Cespedes lined an RBI-single to left to put Fort Myers back on top, 6-4.

The Marauders, however, began chipping away at the plate. In the fifth, Jase Bowen walked and stole both second and third, scoring when catcher LaRon Smith’s throw to third base sailed into left field. In the sixth, Bradenton tied the score, 6-6, when a Norkis Marcos line drive evaded the glove of third baseman Keoni Cavaco, allowing Angel Basabe to score from second base. Marcos proceeded to steal third base, then scored the go-ahead run on a balk by left-hander Samuel Perez (2-2).

From the fifth through the seventh, Umana and Wilkin Ramos held the Mighty Mussels scoreless while the Marauders proceeded to add onto their lead. Mike Jarvis boosted the Marauders’ lead to 8-6 on a solo homer to left field in the seventh, and in the eighth, Bradenton sent ten men to the plate in a four-run romp against Fort Myers righty Jackson Hicks. The inning, aided by two errors from shortstop Mikey Perez, saw RBI-infield singles by Dixon and Rodolfo Nolasco, and a two-run single to center by Basabe, padding the Marauders’ lead to 12-6.

Yunior Thibo worked the final two innings on the mound for Bradenton, allowing a Cespedes RBI-single in the eighth and a Baez RBI-double in the ninth before striking out Huffins to end the game.

Eight of nine Marauders batters recorded at least one hit in the game, and six players recorded multiple hits, with Basabe’s three hits leading the team. Tsung-Che Cheng went 0-for-6, ending a seven-game hit streak.

The series continues Friday with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. at Hammond Stadium. Po-Yu Chen (1-4, 4.60 ERA) will start for the Marauders against Mussels RHP Pierson Ohl (2-3, 5.18 ERA).

For more information about the Bradenton Marauders, please call (941) 747-3031, visit BradentonMarauders.com, or email [email protected].

###