Late Lead Slips Away from Marauders on Opening Night

BRADENTON, Fla. — Ending a drought of over 600 days without a Marauders game at LECOM Park, Bradenton took a seventh-inning lead on Tuesday night but fell, 6-3, to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels on opening night.

Alexander Mojica gave the Marauders (0-1) their first lead of the night, 3-2, in the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-run homer to left field off right-hander Louie Varland (1-0). But after a scoreless eighth by Alex Aquino, Marauders right-hander Oliver Mateo (0-1) allowed a leadoff double in the ninth, walked two batters and uncorked two wild pitches, allowing the tying and go-ahead runs to score. Eddie Julien added a two-run single to stretch the Fort Myers lead to 6-3.

Varland earned the win for the Mussels (1-0), limiting the Marauders to two runs while striking out 10 over four-and-one-third innings of relief.

Willie Joe Garry Jr. led off the game with a home run for Fort Myers, and the 1-0 lead stood until the fourth, when Will Matthiessen delivered a triple off the right field wall for Bradenton and scored the tying run on an Endy Rodriguez double. When Jose Maldonado entered in relief for the seventh, he walked the bases full before yielding to Aquino, who walked Keoni Cavaco to force in the go-ahead run for the Mussels.

Bradenton starter Luis Ortiz and J.C. Flowers, who pitched three innings apiece, limited the Mighty Mussels to one run and three hits over the first six innings, walking two and striking out eight. The duo also combined to retire a stretch of 15 straight batters in a row from the end of the first inning into the sixth.

The Marauders return to action Wednesday, continuing their series against the Mighty Mussels. RHP Eddy Yean is scheduled to start for Bradenton against Mussels RHP Casey Legumina. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.