Walk-Off Win Secures Third Straight Triumph for Marauders

Bradenton, Fla.--- The Marauders (12-5, 47-35) and the Dunedin Blue Jays (6-11, 38-45) met for the second game of a three-game series at LECOM Park on a hot and muggy Saturday night on the Suncoast. The two teams traded the lead all night before the Marauders capitalized on a throwing error and misfield in the ninth to send everyone home happy via a 5-4 win.

Marauders pitcher Owen Kellington got the starting honors. He would toss 3.2 innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out five of the 16 hitters he faced.

Dunedin took a 1-0 lead in the first when they plated a man off of a two-out error committed by Marauders third baseman Yordany De Los Santos. Bradenton counterpunched in the second inning when Lonnie White Jr. singled to level the game at 1-1.

Roque Salinas cracked a sacrifice fly to right in the top of the third to reclaim their narrow lead at a 2-1 scoreline.

Bradenton took the lead back in the bottom of the sixth when Josiah Sightler walked with the bases loaded before Shalin Polanco put the good guys ahead with a sacrifice fly to make it a 3-2 game while collecting his 44th RBI of the season.

The Marauders doubled the lead in the seventh thanks to an RBI flare from Josiah Sightler, but a two-spot in the top of the eighth sent the game to the ninth tied at 4-4.

In the bottom of the ninth, Geovanny Planchart walked to start the frame and was replaced by Deivis Nadal as a pinch runner at first. With Jesus Castillo at the dish, Nadal took off with the 1-1 pitch and made it to second safely as the off-line throw flew into centerfield, allowing Nadal to advance to third and take a wide turn around the bag before he broke for the plate as Jays Centerfielder Jaden Rudd overran the ball.

Nadal scored with a feet-first slide to score the winning run, delivering the 5-4 win for the Young Bucs.

The series finale is set for Sunday at Noon.