Marauders Topped by Tarpons 6-3 on Thursday Night
BRADENTON, FL — The Bradenton Maruaders dropped Thursday night’s contest at LECOM Park 6-3 to the Tampa Tarpons. Both sides were scheduled to play a doubleheader before a lengthy rain delay of three hours and 29 minutes forcing both teams into playing just one nine inning contest. After Connor Wietgrefe
BRADENTON, FL — The Bradenton Maruaders dropped Thursday night’s contest at LECOM Park 6-3 to the Tampa Tarpons. Both sides were scheduled to play a doubleheader before a lengthy rain delay of three hours and 29 minutes forcing both teams into playing just one nine inning contest.
After Connor Wietgrefe retired five of the first six, Esmerlyn Valdez belted his 19th home run in the third, a solo blast to push the Marauders ahead 1-0. Wietgrefe hurled three scoreless frames while striking out three in his third start of the year.
The Tarpons responded by taking the lead in the top of the fifth. Tampa sent eight batters to the plate in the frame with five of the first six reaching safely to start. Parks Harber and Joe Delossantos singled and walked to start it. After a groundout moved both runners over to second and third base, Owen Cobb singled in a run to tie the game. With runners at the corners, Cobb stole second base allowing Delossantos to score on the throw down to second to give Tampa a 2-1 cushion. Hans Montero plated the innings final run with a sacrifice fly.
Bradenton tied the game at three in the bottom half of the frame against Aaron Nixon (4-3). Valdez and Plaz walked to start to bring up Shalin Polanco, who doubled down the left field line to score Valdez with Plaz thrown out at the plate attempting to score. Two batters later, Andrew Patrick scored Polanco on an infield single to tie the game at three.
The game’s decisive run came in the sixth after Noah Takacs (1-4) allowed a single, a walk, and a hit batter to load the bases up with two outs. Roderick Arias worked a bases loaded walk to drive in the go-ahead run.
Tampa added two more in the ninth on an RBI double from Dillon Lewis and wild pitch before Chris Kean (SV,2) tossed a scoreless ninth to close out the ballgame.
Game two will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday, August 31 featuring two seven-inning games beginning at 4:30 pm. Gates will open at 4:00 pm with game two starting approximately 35 minutes following completion of game one. All paid tickets may be exchanged for any remaining 2024 Marauders home game.
The Marauders and Tarpons continue their series on Friday night at LECOM Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 6:10 p.m. on the Marauders Broadcast Network.