Marauders Hang on for Series Win in Dunedin

DUNEDIN, Fla. — The Marauders rode an impressive five-man pitching performance to a 3-2 win over the Dunedin Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon at TD Ballpark.

The win gave the Marauders (2-1, 31-37) their first series win since April 26 to May 1, when the team took five of six from Dunedin at home.

Bradenton left-handers Luis Peralta and Yoelvis Reyes held Dunedin (1-2, 29-40) scoreless across the first five innings of the game. The two men retired a combined 15 straight batters from the end of the first inning through the fifth. Peralta, making his first start in a month, stranded two runners in the first and retired his final nine batters faced in three innings of work, and Reyes, making his Single-A debut, retired all six Blue Jays batters that he faced in relief.

Jays starter Nick Frasso tossed four scoreless innings, striking out seven, but after neither team scored through four innings, the Marauders jumped on Dunedin reliever Wilgenis Alvarado in the fifth. Wyatt Hendrie reached on a one-out infield single, and after a lineout, rehabbing Pirates infielder Tucupita Marcano drew a walk and Jase Bowen was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with two out. With Tsung-Che Cheng batting, catcher Jommer Hernandez had an Alvarado pitch glance off his glove, allowing Hendrie to score. Hernandez’ throw to home plate from the backstop flew past Alvarado, and Marcano also scored on the play when first baseman Adriel Sotolongo’s recovery throw home was slightly off-target, enabling Marcano to slide under the tag. Cheng followed with a triple to the right field wall, plating Bowen for a 3-0 Marauders lead.

Right-hander Wilkin Ramos pitched the sixth for Bradenton and was erratic, hitting Angel del Rosario with a pitch to open the inning. Deivis Nadal then misplayed a Dasan Brown groundball to third base, placing two runners on. An errant snap throw to second base from catcher Hendrie to second base during the following at-bat allowed del Rosario to advance to third, and Brown soon stole second base. After a strikeout, Roque Salinas lifted a sacrifice fly to center, driving del Rosario home, and Sotolongo drew a walk before Ramos escaped the jam with a lineout to center, stranding Brown at second base.

Left-hander Mitchell Miller tossed a scoreless seventh for the Marauders, but in the eighth, Miller saw the Blue Jays come within one run, 3-2, as Brown led off with a bunt single and later scored on a Miller balk.

In the bottom of the ninth, Dante Mendoza allowed a one-out infield single to Jommer Hernandez, but recovered to get a popout and a game-ending strikeout to secure the win for the Marauders.

Bowen extended his hitting streak to a team-best 12 games with a leadoff single in the fourth, Bradenton’s first hit of the afternoon.

The Marauders return home Tuesday to open a six-game series against the Tampa Tarpons, Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at LECOM Park.

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

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