Bradenton Bats Battle Back to Beat Mussels

BRADENTON, Fla. — Despite constant bouts of wildness from the pitching staff, the Marauders fought back from multiple deficits Tuesday night to beat the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, 11-9, at LECOM Park.

Seven Marauders (33-22, 62-58) pitchers allowed a combined 12 walks in the game, topping the team’s previous season-high of nine. Five Mighty Mussels (22-32, 63-55) hurlers also walked a combined nine batters, adding to the evening’s erratic totals. The game lasted three hours and 28 minutes, matching Bradenton’s longest nine-inning game of the year.

Trailing, 7-6, Bradenton scrapped against Mighty Mussels reliever A.J. Labas in the seventh inning. After Juan Jerez was hit by a pitch and Brenden Dixon singled, Tsung-Che Cheng lined a two-out single to right field to plate pinch-runner Termarr Johnson with the tying run. Tanner Tredaway followed with a 45-foot bouncer along the third-base line for an infield single that plated Dixon for the go-ahead run, 8-7.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Marauders tagged Labas for three insurance runs. Wyatt Hendrie knocked a one-out single and scored when a Johnson single to center rolled under center fielder Misael Urbina’s glove, Dixon followed with an RBI-single, and Sergio Campana turned on an inside pitch for a run-scoring double to left for a 11-7 Bradenton lead.

Wilkin Ramos pitched the ninth for the Marauders and allowed three consecutive one-out singles, the last of which saw right fielder Jasiah Dixon bobble the ball, allowing Kala’i Rosario to score. Alec Sayre grounded out to second base for the second out, but Urbina walked to load the bases with the score 11-8. Noah Miller then drew a free pass—his fifth walk of the game—to force home a run, knocking Ramos from the game. Johan Montero entered and got Tanner Schobel to whiff on a 1-2 breaking ball for the game’s final out.

Nine of the 11 Marauders players who made a plate appearance recorded a hit, led by Brenden Dixon’s 3-for-4, three-RBI performance and a 2-for-4, two-RBI night by Norkis Marcos.

The game began on a dubious note when Marauders starter Bubba Chandler walked three of the game’s first four batters and left after experiencing apparent discomfort. Fort Myers plated a run on a double-steal with runners on first and third before Drew Irvine entered in relief and retired the side.

Fort Myers got a Ben Ross RBI-single in the third, but a solo homer by Matt Gorski brought Bradenton within a run, 2-1.

As the two teams swapped fruitful innings at the plate, the Marauders pulled even, 6-6, for the first time in the fifth when Rosario misplayed a Brenden Dixon flyball to left field into a two-run double, and Marcos followed with a game-tying double. Fort Myers regained the lead in the sixth, however, as three straight walks by Mike Walsh set up a Ross sac fly.

Yunior Thibo provided a bright spot in an otherwise shaky Marauders pitching performance, earning the win after tossing 2.2 innings of scoreless relief in the late innings.

The series continues Wednesday with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. at LECOM Park. LHP Anthony Solometo will start for the Marauders, while RHP Pierson Ohl will start for the Mighty Mussels.

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

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