Gone Fishin'! Marauders Beat Tarpons Sunday Night

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Marauders’ largest crowd of the season enjoyed a 6-2 win for the home team over the Tampa Tarpons at LECOM Park on Sunday night.

A crowd of 3,052 watched the Marauders (4-5, 33-41) jump out to an early three-run lead and ride excellent relief pitching to the series finale win over Tampa (6-3, 33-42)

After a scoreless top of the first by Bradenton starter Luis Peralta, the bats gained early steam as Tsung-Che Cheng, Jase Bowen, and Deivis Nadal lined three consecutive singles, with the latter driving in the game’s first run. After a walk, Sergio Campana grounded into a double play that plated Bowen from third, and Wyatt Hendrie capped the rally with an RBI-single for a 3-0 Marauders advantage off Tarpons right-hander Zach Messinger.

Peralta labored in the next two innings. In the second, the left-hander issued two walks and a hit-by-pitch then saw Ben Cowles drive in Tampa’s first run with an RBI-groundout. Peralta narrowly escaped further trouble, striking out Roberto Chirinos to end the inning, stranding runners on second and third. In the third, Peralta surrendered a two-out RBI-double to Marcos Cabrera, bringing the Tarpons within one run, 3-2, and placing runners on second and third again. Cristian Charle entered in relief and induced an inning-ending groundout to maintain the lead for Bradenton.

Charle went on to earn the win, tossing two and one-third scoreless innings and allowing just two hits.

The Marauders padded their lead in the bottom of the third with an RBI-groundout by Campana, and Rodolfo Nolasco produced the club’s final two runs of the night on a two-run double to left field in the seventh.

Relievers Wilkin Ramos and Dante Mendoza followed Charle’s lead out of the Marauders bullpen, as both men tossed two scoreless frames to seal the win. From the fifth inning onward, the Tarpons managed just two baserunners, neither of whom advanced into scoring position.

Charle, Ramos, and Mendoza combined for seven strikeouts and just one walk over six and one-third innings of relief. The free pass came against Mendoza with one out in the ninth before the right-hander got Grant Richardson to ground into a game-ending double play.

The Marauders travel to Lakeland on Monday to open a six-game series against the Lakeland Flying Tigers, Single-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Publix Field. The Marauders have yet to announce their starting pitcher, while Lakeland will start RHP Wilkel Hernandez.

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

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