Bolton Excels in Shutout Effort on Road

   CLEARWATER, FL - In the first game of a three game set on the road at Spectrum Field, the Bradenton Marauders earned their second shutout victory of the 2019 season on Monday night behind seven shutout frames from RHP Cody Bolton against the Clearwater Threshers. The Tracy, California native threw up zeroes all evening, including five innings in which Thresher hitters went down in order out of his seven total innings of work. Bolton finished with seven strikeouts, one shy of his season high of eight. "My fastball felt great tonight, and I was able to work in enough sliders to keep the hitters off balance, I really felt good out there" said Bolton after earning his fifth win without a loss yet on the year, and dropping his ERA to 0.77.

   Offensively, the contest's only tally was plated in the visiting half of the sixth inning off of Clearwater starting pitcher LHP Damon Jones who earned a tough luck loss after giving up the lone run over six innings with seven strikeouts and no walks included in his second loss. C Deon Stafford led off the inning with a line drive double down the left field line and moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by DH Randolph Gassaway that set up OF Travis Swaggerty for a go ahead single to left field that drove in Stafford and amounted to the game's only run for either side. RHP Luis Escobar turned in his third save of the year in three tries by working through the final two innings on two hits and a walk while stranding the tying and go ahead runs on base when the contest was settled in the bottom of the ninth.

       Bradenton and Clearwater will do battle in the middle game of their three game series Tuesday night at Spectrum Field at 7 pm with LHP Domingo Robles scheduled to make his seventh start of the 2019 campaign. Catch all the action with Matt Neverett on the Bradenton Marauders Baseball Network by visiting BradentonMarauders.com, TuneIn Radio, MiLB.tv, or the MiLB First Pitch app!