Soggy Series Opener Slips Away from Marauders

BRADENTON, Fla. — A ninety-minute rain delay cut into Tuesday night’s game which saw the Marauders fall, 10-4, to the Tampa Tarpons at LECOM Park.

The ten runs allowed matched a season-high for the Marauders (2-2, 31-38), who have now lost five of seven matchups with the Tarpons (3-1, 30-40) this season.

Marauders starter Valentin Linarez issued a walk to Alexander Vargas to begin the game. He later scored the game’s first run on a two-out single by Anthony Garcia, but Bradenton quickly took the lead in the bottom of the first. Mike Jarvis lined a leadoff double to left field, stole third base, and scored the tying run on a Tsung-Che Cheng infield single. Cheng then stole second and scored the go-ahead run on a bloop hit to left-center by Deivis Nadal.

But in the third, Tampa bats erupted for four runs off Linarez to reclaim the lead, 5-1. Vargas worked a one-out walk, scored on a Jasson Dominguez triple, and Austin Wells plated Dominguez with a go-ahead double. Marcos Cabrera followed with a two-run homer to left field. After Yulie held the Marauders scoreless in the bottom of the third, rain delayed the game for an hour and a half before play resumed for the fourth inning.

The bottom of the fourth saw Bradenton come within one run. Rodolfo Nolasco doubled off the left field wall and Grant Koch launched a two-run homer just inside the left field pole, his first home run of the season, bringing the score to 5-4 Tampa.

But the Marauders would not score again, as Tarpons relievers Trevor Holloway, Harold Cortijo, and Jack Neely combined to hold Bradenton scoreless over their final five innings at the plate. The Marauders left Cheng stranded on second base in the sixth when he walked and stole second, and the team also squandered an opportunity in the seventh, when Koch reached on an error and Jarvis singled, but both were left in scoring position.

Tampa, meanwhile, padded their lead. Kyle Battle lined an RBI-double off Johan Montero in the sixth, and after Jack Hartman and Yunior Thibo held the Tarpons scoreless in the seventh and eighth, respectively, Thibo’s evening turned sour in the top of the ninth. The righty allowed two singles and a sacrifice fly by Ben Rice for a 7-4 Tarpons lead, and after walking Cabrera, Madison Santos slugged a three-run homer to left-center to stretch Tampa’s lead to 10-4. Thibo’s four runs allowed were a season-high.

Jarvis and Nadal recorded two hits each for the Marauders, while Jase Bowen went 0-for-4, ending his hitting streak at a team-best 12 games.

The series continues Wednesday with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at LECOM Park. RHP Sergio Umana will start for the Marauders, while RHP Yon Castro will start for Tampa.

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

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