Bradenton Drops Both Games in a Doubleheader on Saturday

BRADENTON, FL — The Bradenton Marauders fell in both games of a doubleheader on Saturday night at LECOM Park to the Tampa Tarpons by a score of 7-3 and 5-1 in eight innings.

In game one, Tampa struck for a pair of runs in the first inning for the second-straight day. Marauders starter Luigi Hernandez (3-3_ hit Roderick Arias and issued a walk to Willy Montero before Hans Montero and Parks Harber collected back-to-back RBI singles to push the Tarpons ahead 2-0 after half an inning.

Bradenton responded with a run in the bottom of the first. Will Taylor was hit by a pitch then advanced to second on a single and third on a groundball before scoring on a wild pitch from Carlos Lagrange. The Marauders ultimately tied the game in the second on a sacrifice fly from Justin Miknis.

The tie game didn’t last long as the Tarpons responded by sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring five runs in the third. Four of the first five batters reached on either a walk or hit by pitch to drive in the first run. The inning was highlighted by a Joe Deslossantos single and sacrifice fly from Owen Cobb as Tampa carried a 7-2 lead to the bottom of the third.

Yoljedriz Diaz (2-1) threw three scoreless frames out of the bullpen before turning it over to Matt Givin. Yordany De Los Santos and Miknis tallied back-to-back one-out singles in the seventh before Andrew Patrick walked to bring the tying run at the plate. Givin retired the next two batters in order to close out the game.

Game two was a pitchers’ duel between Clevari Tejada and Gabriel Barbosa for Tampa. Tampa had one early chance in the second. Hans Montero and Dillon Lewis recorded back-to-back singles to start the frame before Tejada racked up a strikeout and induced an inning-ending double play.

The Marauders offense had a similar chance in the second after back-to-back two-out singles from Patrick and Berg. Barbosa retired the last batter to end the threat. Tejada struck out two and allowed just three hits in five scoreless. Peyton Stumbo worked a pair of scoreless innings as well out of the bullpen.

All six runs came in the eighth inning. Danny Carrion (1-1) walked and allowed a single to load the bases for Tyler Wilson. Carrion issued another walk to bring in the go-ahead run. The next three batters scored the remaining four runs. Montero singled in a pair of runs followed by an RBI groundout from Dillon Lewis. A sacrifice fly from Harber closed out the five-run eighth for Tampa.

Shalin Polanco was the extra-runner in the eighth. A groundout moved him to third and he scored on a sacrifice fly from Taylor to cut the deficit to 5-1. Kristofer Bow (3-1) retired the next batter to complete the doubleheader sweep.

Keiner Delgado's 17-game on-base streak came to an end the second game of the doubleheader. It was the second-longest streaky by a Marauder this season, only behind Esmerlyn Valdez' 19-game stretch back in late April and early May.

The Marauders close out their 2024 home schedule on Sunday afternoon at LECOM Park. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 11:40 a.m. on the Marauders Broadcast Network.