Bradenton Holds Off St. Lucie Late in Series Opening Victory

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL — The Marauders snapped their five-game losing streak with a 9-5 victory over the St. Lucie Mets on Tuesday night at Clover Park.

Bradenton led from start the finish after jumping on Mets starter Wellington Aracena (0-1) in the top of the first. After Aracena walked three of the first five batters, a groundball that snuck under the glove of Estarling Mercado scored the Marauders first run with the second scoring on a bases loaded walk to Duce Gourson in his professional debut.

The Marauders extended their lead to 5-0 in the second after plating three more runs. Aracena retired the first two hitters before the next five men reached. Keiner Delgado singled while Shalin Polanco and Esmerlyn Valdez walked to load the bases for Axiel Plaz who scored two with a single. The next batter, Yordany De Los Santos, capped off the frame with another run-scoring hit.

In his second start with Bradenton, Zander Mueth tossed two scoreless innings until running into trouble in the third. Willy Fanas singled, and Kevin Villavicencio walked to place two runners on with nobody out. Boston Baro then reached on a dropped catch error in centerfield to load the bases for AJ Ewing who walked to bring in the Mets first run and cut the deficit to 5-1. A wild pitch and another bases-loaded walk scored the other two runs. All three runs were unearned against Mueth’s ledger. Inmer Lobo (1-0) came out of the bullpen in the third with two on and two outs. He punched out Yohairo Cuevas to end the frame.

Neither side scored again until the seventh when Valdez mashed his 17th home run of the season, which puts him tied for first in the Florida State League.

The Mets went right back to the work in the bottom of the seventh, scoring two runs on a pair of RBI singles from Ronald Hernandez and Colin Houck to cut it to 6-5. After Houck’s single, the Mets had runners at the corners with just one out until Cuevas hit into an inning-ending double play.

Bradenton put the game away in the ninth after Cristofer Gomez issued three-straight two-out walks to load the bases for Justin Miknis, who scored all three with a bases-clearing double to extend the Bradenton lead to 9-5.

Peyton Stumbo tossed a scoreless ninth to close out the game and hand Bradenton their 10th-straight win over St. Lucie.

The Marauders and Mets continue their six-game series on Wednesday afternoon at Clover Park. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 12:50 p.m. on the Marauders Broadcast Network.