Marauders Fall to Flying Tigers in Extras

LAKELAND, Fla. — Three costly errors and a Lakeland walkoff double in the 10th inning sunk the Marauders, 4-3, on Thursday night at Publix Field.

With the score tied, 3-3, Marauders right-hander Carlos Campos (2-2) faced Lakeland’s Nick Quintana to open the bottom of the 10th with Ben Malgeri on second base. Quintana drove a 1-0 pitch just out of the reach of a diving Jase Bowen in center field for the game-winning hit.

The Marauders (71-45) had two leads in the early innings but were unable to hold onto either, as errors by Luis Ortiz, Maikol Escotto, and Dariel Lopez led to one Lakeland run each in the second, third, and fourth innings, respectively. The Marauders also went just 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position in the extra-inning loss.

Jackson Glenn and Endy Rodriguez opened the game with back-to-back doubles off Carlos Pena, with Glenn scoring the game’s first run on the Rodriguez two-bagger. The Flying Tigers (52-63), however, tied the score in the second inning as Chris Meyers reached on a bobbled grounder by Ortiz and scored on a double by Alvaro Gonzalez.

Bradenton regained the lead in the third inning when Glenn walked and scored on a Rodriguez triple, and Lopez plated Rodriguez with a sacrifice fly to deep left field, extending the Marauders’ advantage to 3-1.

Lakeland immediately struck back. In the bottom of the third, Carlos Irigoyen reached on a booted groundball by Escotto at shortstop, and Malgeri followed with a walk. Quintana then doubled to right field to plate Irigoyen, but Glenn fired a strong relay throw home from shallow right field to throw out the would-be tying run in Malgeri, who trailed Irigoyen on the basepaths by just a few steps.

The Flying Tigers tied the score, 3-3, in the fourth. Lopez misplayed a one-out grounder to third base by Kingston Liniak, who stole second base and scored the tying run on a single to right field by Esney Chacon.

Over the next five innings, neither team scored. Alex Roth and Tyler Samaniego each tossed two scoreless innings behind Ortiz, while Xavier Javier and Luke Sommerfeld providing scoreless relief for Lakeland.

The Marauders missed out on a key scoring opportunity in the sixth inning, as Jack Herman walked and took third on an Abrahan Gutierrez double. But a popout, a flyout, and a groundout squelched the threat. Bradenton also stranded runners on the corners in the ninth after a walk and a deflected infield single.

In the top of the 10th, Rodriguez laid down a bunt with Glenn on second base. Pitcher Gabe Sequeira (5-3) fielded the ball and overthrew first base, but Rodriguez was ruled to have left the runner’s lane on his way to first base and was called out on interference. Francisco Acuna followed with a walk, but two strikeouts left the two men stranded.

The series continues Friday with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Publix Field. RHP Jared Jones will start for the Marauders against RHP Wilmer Flores.

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

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