BRADENTON, Fla. - Tampa erased an early 3-0 deficit by scoring five unanswered runs, but Bradenton scored a run in each of the final three innings to walk-off with a 6-5 win on Friday night at LECOM Park.The Yankees (8-6, 47-37) had won seven-straight matchups with the Marauders (9-6, 46-36)
BRADENTON, Fla. - Tampa erased an early 3-0 deficit by scoring five unanswered runs, but Bradenton scored a run in each of the final three innings to walk-off with a 6-5 win on Friday night at LECOM Park.
The Yankees (8-6, 47-37) had won seven-straight matchups with the Marauders (9-6, 46-36) entering the series.
Bradenton jumped ahead with three runs in the first against RHP Taylor Widener .
Cole Tucker legged out an infield single and promptly stole second before scoring on a liner to left by Mitchell Tolman. One out later, Jordan George walked and Ty Moore looped a double into left, scoring Tolman. Christian Kelley followed with an RBI groundout.
Widener bounced back with a perfect second and held the Marauders hitless throughout the rest of his outing. The right-hander allowed three earned runs on three hits in four and two-third innings, walking four while striking out four and throwing 48 of 83 pitches for strikes.
Trey Amburgey put the Yankees on the board by blasting a solo homer off LHP Taylor Hearn with one out in the fourth. It was the second home run in as many nights for Amburgey, who now leads all active players in the Florida State League with 12.
Tampa rallied four the lead against Hearn in the sixth, with five-straight Yankees reaching base with one out.
Gosuke Katoh walked and Nick Solak doubled, placing runners at second and third. Amburgey followed with a single into left, scoring Katoh and placing runners on the corners. Tim Lynch tied the game with a double into right and Amburgey scored the go-ahead run on an errant throw in from right field by Kevin Krause. Angel Aguilar added an RBI single before Hearn struck out a pair to end the inning.
Hearn tied a career-high with nine strikeouts while surrendering five runs (four earned) on eight hits in six innings. The southpaw walked one and threw 63 of 93 pitches for strikes in a no-decision.
RHP Jose Mesa Jr. relieved Widener in the fifth and retired the first four batters he faced before allowing a leadoff single by Alexis Bastardo in the seventh. A sacrifice bunt pushed the runner into scoring position and Tucker plated Bastardo with a two-out double into center.
Bradenton tied the score when Will Craig hustled for a leadoff double in the eighth and crossed the plate on a base hit by George. Mesa kept the game timed by striking out a pair to strand runners on the corners.
RHP Jordan Foley (L, 0-1) issued back-to-back walks to begin the bottom of the ninth. Tolman pushed a sacrifice bunt towards third and the winning run scored when third baseman Daniel Barrios made a wild throw by first base.
RHP Bret Helton held the Yankees to a hit and a walk while striking out a pair in two scoreless relief innings. RHP Seth McGarry (W, 1-0) fired a 1-2-3 ninth.
Amburgey (2-for-3, HR, BB, 2RBI, 2R) leads Tampa with 12 HR and 42 RBI. Solak (2-for-4, R), Lynch (2-for-4, 2B, RBI, R) and Aguilar (2-for-4, RBI) had multi-hit games.
Tampa will look to snap a three-game skid when the series continues on Saturday, featuring RHP Dillon Tate (3-0, 1.47 ERA) against RHP Pedro Vasquez (7-4, 2.48 ERA) at 6:30 p.m. Live audio will be available on the Tampa Yankees Radio Network beginning at 6:05 p.m.
