Marauders Quick Start Halted in 9-4 Loss to Cardinals

Marauders Quick Start Halted in 9-4 Loss to Cardinals

Bradenton, Fla. – Despite notching a season-high 13 hits, the Bradenton Marauders dropped their home opener versus the Palm Beach Cardinals 9-4 on Tuesday night at LECOM Park.

Leading off the bottom of the first with no score, Konnor Griffin singled to center and stole second. Two hitters later, Axiel Plaz barreled a single to right to score Griffin and put the Marauders ahead 1-0.

After two singles loaded the bases, Braylon Bishop stepped to the plate with two outs and seared a grounder up the middle to score two and push the lead to 3-0.

Marauders starter Peyton Stumbo was spectacular, tossing four shutout innings while allowing one baserunner. In the process he fanned five hitters.

With the same score in the top of the fifth, Yordalin Pena led off with a double to right. After an errant pickoff throw moved him to third, Luis Pino rolled a grounder to short to bring in Palm Beach’s first run.

Two hitters later, Bryce Madron sent a towering solo homer to right to cut the Bradenton advantage to 3-2.

Still leading by one in the bottom of the sixth, Camden Janik and Joel Mendez singled while Bishop walked to load the bases with nobody out. Later in the frame, the Marauders tacked on a run when a passed ball allowed Janik to score from third, making it 4-2.

In the top of the seventh, Palm Beach loaded the bases on three walks. The following two hitters were hit by a pitch and walked respectively to force home two runs and even the game at 4-4.

Two batters later and with the bases still loaded, Bradenton reliever Joaquin Tejada sent a wild pitch to the backstop that brought home another run to make it 5-4 Palm Beach.

The Cardinals added on four more runs throughout the final two innings, highlighted by a two-run homer by Pena in the top of the eighth.

With the loss, the Marauders fell to 1-3 while the Cardinals jumped to 3-1. The two will meet at LECOM Park for game two of the series tomorrow morning. First pitch is slated for 11:00 a.m. with coverage beginning at 10:45 a.m. on MiLB.TV and the Marauders Broadcast Network.