Late Rallies Fall Just Short in Thursday Loss

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Marauders fought back from a seven-run deficit Thursday night but ultimately fell short in a 7-4 loss to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels at Hammond Stadium.

With the score 7-0 in favor of Fort Myers (14-17, 55-40) after seven innings, the Marauders (20-13, 49-49) loaded the bases in the eighth inning off reliever Anthony Escobar. Bubba Chandler led off with a walk and Maikol Escotto and Jasiah Dixon followed with back-to-back singles, loading the bases. Brenden Dixon lifted a sacrifice fly to deep right-center to score Chandler for Bradenton’s first run of the evening. A pitching change brought on left-hander Samuel Perez, who threw a wild pitch to allow Escotto to score and then saw a Tsung-Che Cheng groundout plate Jasiah Dixon, making the score 7-3 before the inning’s final out.

In the ninth, the Marauders loaded the bases again with one out on a Sergio Campana double and walks by Chandler and Wyatt Hendrie. Escotto brought Campana home with a sacrifice fly to right field, but right-hander Jackson Hicks recovered to get Jasiah Dixon to line out to center field, ending the game with two runners left stranded.

Through the game’s first seven innings, Mighty Mussels pitching stymied Marauders bats, holding Bradenton to three hits. Starter Jordan Carr pitched a career-high six scoreless innings, inducing two double plays and allowing just one runner into scoring position via a Brenden Dixon double in the third.

Meanwhile, Fort Myers hitters attacked Marauders starter Luis Peralta, who allowed solo homers in the first and second innings to Misael Urbina and Rubel Cespedes, respectively. After the Cespedes homer, Peralta recovered to retire five of the next six batters. But the southpaw allowed a Daniel Ozoria RBI-double in the fourth, and in the fifth, he allowed a double and a walk to begin the inning, both of which came around to score off reliever Kelvin Disla for a 5-0 Fort Myers cushion. Peralta finished with five runs allowed on a career-high eight hits across four and one-third innings.

Right-hander Drew Irvine made his Single-A debut for Bradenton in the seventh, allowing a pair of runs on a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly. His inning was bookended by scoreless outings by fellow righties Carlos Lomeli and Jack Hartman, who tossed one scoreless inning each.

Seven of nine Mighty Mussels hitters recorded hits, while eight of the nine reached base safely and five different players drove in runs.

The series continues Friday with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. at Hammond Stadium. RHP Valentin Linarez will start for the Marauders, while Fort Myers has yet to announce its starting pitcher.

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

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