Ruta, Aguilar Homer Early in 5-3 Victory

BRADENTON, Fla. -- Ben Ruta and Angel Aguilar both homered early and Tampa pitchers tallied 16 strikeouts as the Tarpons snapped a season-long eight-game losing streak with a 5-3 win in the series-opener over the Bradenton Marauders on Thursday night at LECOM Park.
Diego Castillo and Dom Thompson-Williams both singled and scored on at two-out, three-run homer to right by Ruta in the first inning. It was the 24-year-old's eighth homerun and first on the road.
Bradenton (15-29, 50-59) responded with three base hits off RHP Nick Nelson in the bottom of the inning, including an RBI single by Mitchell Tolman.
Steven Sensely hit a leadoff double down the right field line in the second and scored when Aguilar crushed a ball over the left field wall, giving Tampa (21-26, 56-61) a 5-1 lead. It was Aguilar's sixth homer of the season.
Nelson stranded a two-out hit-batter in the second and worked a perfect third before yielding a leadoff home run by Tolman in the fourth. It was the first homer allowed by Nelson in 100 and two-third innings pitched. The only other home run allowed by Nelson this season was in his first start with Single-A Charleston on April 8th.
Only two Tarpons reached after the second inning off RHP Evan Piechota (L, 0-3). The 24-year-old retired 14 of the last 16 batters he faced and allowed five earned runs on seven hits in six innings, walking one while striking out six on 90 pitches (67 strikes).
Nelson (W, 6-4) retired the final nine batters he faced, including seven strikeouts. The 22-year-old tallied 11 strikeouts, which was the most since he struck out 12 on April 13th with Charleston. Nelson held the Marauders to two earned runs on four hits in six innings, yielding no walks while throwing 70 of 100 pitches for strikes.
RHP Hobie Harris (H, 2) tallied three strikeouts while stranding two walks and a single in a pair of scoreless frames. RHP Greg Weissert (SV, 2) allowed a run on doubles by Casey Hughston and Raul Siri in the ninth, but struck out two and closed the game.
RHP A.J. Schugel allowed a hit and struck out two in a scoreless seventh in a rehab appearance for Bradenton. LHP Jake Brentz worked around a single and added a strikeout in the eighth and RHP Angel German struck out one in a perfect ninth.
Thompson-Williams (2-for-4, R) is on a seven-game hitting streak, batting .400 (10-for-25) with seven runs scored in that span. Ruta (2-for-4, HR, 3RBI, R) is batting .365 (27-for-74) with 14 RBI over his last 19 games. Aguilar (2-for-4, HR, 2RBI, R) and Sensley (1-for-3, 2B, BB, R) also reached base twice.
Gabriel Mora (1-for-3) singled in the second in his debut with the Tarpons.
The series continues on Friday at 6:30 p.m. RHP Nick Green (6-5, 3.15) will make the start against LHP Domingo Robles (0-0, -.--). Live play-by-play audio will be available on the Tarpons Radio Network.