Marauders Comeback to Seal Narrow Saturday Night Win
Tampa, Fla. — The Marauders (26-24) and the Tarpons (20-29) in the fifth game of their six-game set at Steinbrenner Field on Saturday night. The start of the game was not pushed back for the first time in days due to the weather. Bradenton jumped out to an early lead
Tampa, Fla. — The Marauders (26-24) and the Tarpons (20-29) in the fifth game of their six-game set at Steinbrenner Field on Saturday night. The start of the game was not pushed back for the first time in days due to the weather. Bradenton jumped out to an early lead but was pegged back and eventually trailed in the later stages of the contest. The bats came alive late, propelling the ‘Ders to a dramatic 6-5 victory.
The top of the first inning saw Jack Brannigan reach on an error, sandwiched by strikeouts before Rodolfo Nolasco stepped to the dish with a two-out RBI opportunity. The cleanup hitter smacked a ball to the opposite field that cleared the wall for a two-run home run putting the Young Bucs up 2-0 after half an inning.
The Marauders added another run in the third, but the Tarpons would respond loudly in the home half of the inning. Anthony Hall hit a two-run blast, and Jared Serna knocked an RBI single up the middle to tie the game at 3-3 after a third of the game played.
The game went stale in the middle innings, but the bottom of the sixth saw a solo homer for Chris Familia of Tampa to give the home side a one-run advantage with three innings to play.
The Marauders got a pair of men on in the top of Eighth, but with two outs, the chance to tie the game looked to be slipping away… Alexander Mojica had other ideas. The power-hitting first baseman pulled a shot down the leftfield line that rolled into the corner scoring the tying run. With men still at the corners, Geovanny Planchart flared a ball into right that touched down in fair territory with a few feet to spare to bring in the go-ahead run.
Tanner Tredaway singled to score what would turn out to be a crucial insurance run making the game 6-4 in favor of the Young Bucs going to the bottom of the ninth.
Yunior Thibo faced his fourth save opportunity of the year, and after giving up a run, he was able to strand the tying tally on second to secure the 6-5 win for Bradenton.
The Marauders will look to split the series with the Tarpons on Sunday afternoon with Dominic Perachi on the mound.