'Tugas Slugfest Dooms Marauders in Series Finale
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A seventh-inning Marauders comeback came up just short on Sunday in Daytona Beach, as the Marauders went on to lose the series finale, 8-4, to the Daytona Tortugas at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. The loss was Bradenton’s third in a row and resulted in a split of
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A seventh-inning Marauders comeback came up just short on Sunday in Daytona Beach, as the Marauders went on to lose the series finale, 8-4, to the Daytona Tortugas at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
The loss was Bradenton’s third in a row and resulted in a split of the six-game series, the Marauders’ second consecutive split of a road series.
Jared Jones (1-1) allowed career-highs in hits (seven) and runs (four) for the Marauders (41-24). The right-hander struck out seven but allowed a pair of two-run homers to Allan Cerda and Justin Gomez in the second inning that gave Daytona (31-35) an early 4-0 advantage.
Bradenton brought their first run home in the third on a throwing error by Tortugas third baseman Elly de la Cruz, and an Ernny Ordonez solo homer in the fifth brought the Marauders within two runs, 4-2. But a leadoff home run in the sixth by Daniel Vellojin—the third homer allowed by Bradenton, matching a season-high—off reliever Sergio Umana extended Daytona’s lead to 5-2.
The Marauders pushed back in the top of the seventh against right-hander Frainger Aranguren (3-6), as Endy Rodriguez singled and later scored on a wild pitch, and Ordonez added an RBI-single, closing the Maruaders’ deficit to one run. But after a Kyle Wilkie single put the tying and go-ahead runs on the corners, Maikol Escotto struck out, ending the rally.
Daytona padded the lead to 8-4 in the bottom of the seventh, sending eight men to the plate and pushing home three insurance runs against right-hander Ryan Troutman. A would-be inning-ending double play nearly bailed Bradenton out of the inning with no runs scoring, but a dropped transfer by second baseman Francisco Acuna brought one run home and opened the gates for a Leo Seminati two-run single.
Ordonez led the Marauders with a season-high three hits in the game, and Rodriguez went 1-for-3 with a walk, extending his on-base streak to 16 games.
The Marauders’ road trip continues Tuesday as the team travels to Port St. Lucie to open a six-game series against the St. Lucie Mets. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. at Clover Park.
For more information about the Bradenton Marauders, please call (941) 747-3031, visit BradentonMarauders.com, or email [email protected].