Threshers Score Final Five in Opening Day Victory

WP: Orion Kerkering (1-0, 0.00)

LP: Antwone Kelly (0-1, 10.13)

SV: Saul Teran (1)

BRADENTON, FL – Bryson Ware, Avery Owusu-Asiedu and Pierce Bennett combined for six of the team’s ten hits as the Clearwater Threshers (1-0) came back to win 5-2 over the Bradenton Marauders (0-1). Clearwater continues their opening weekend in Bradenton on Saturday evening.

The Marauders scored in the bottom of the third inning on two wild pitches to take a 2-0 lead. Avery Owusu-Asiedu recorded a hit with one out in the fifth off major league rehabber Carmen Mlodzinski and stole second base. Aidan Miller drove in the Threshers first run with a single up the middle to cut the Bradenton lead in half to 2-1

Another one out single led to a run for the Threshers, when Ware started the sixth with a single off Bradenton Reliever Mike Walsh. He stole second and scored on a Bennett RBI single that tied the game at two.

Jordan Viars walked on four pitches to start the eighth inning and moved to third on a hit-and-run single by Ware. Viars scored the go-ahead run on a Bennett single to give the Threshers their first lead. Keaton Anthony beat out a throw to first on a fielder’s choice that plated Ware from third. Anthony scored from first on a two-out double by Luis Caicuto that made it 5-2.

The Threshers bullpen continued a dominant night, allowing just three hits in the final four innings to hold on for a 5-2 win.

Jake Eddington allowed two runs on one hit in 2.2 innings with five walks and four strikeouts in a no-decision. Braydon Tucker tossed 2.1 scoreless frames with two hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Paxton Thompson did not allow a run in 1.2 innings, surrendering one hit without a walk or a strikeout. Orion Kerkering (1-0) earned the win in 1.1 shutout innings where he didn’t allow a hit and struck out four. Saul Teran picked up the save in the final frame, striking out three and allowing one hit and two walks.

Kerkering has struck out seven of eight Marauders he faced over the last two seasons...Anthony reached in all eight games he has played for the Threshers dating back to his debut in 2023...Miller’s fifth-inning RBI was his first as a Thresher in the regular season...Eight of nine Threshers batters reached base...Clearwater and Bradenton resume the opening series on Saturday, April sixth at LECOM Park... First pitch is at 6:30 PM...You can purchase tickets for the Threshers season, with the Home Opener on Tuesday, April ninth, at ThreshersBaseball.com/tickets or by calling 727-467-4457…The Box Office at BayCare Ballpark is also open daily to purchase Threshers tickets…The hours are 10 AM-5 PM Monday through Friday and 10 AM-3 PM on Saturdays.