Marauders Claim Saturday Showdown 5-4

FORT MYERS, Fla. (September 9, 2023) – The Mighty Mussels’ pitching staff allowed just three hits Saturday, but the Bradenton Marauders edged Fort Myers 5-4 at Hammond Stadium.

The Mussels’ (67-63, 33-31) bullpen was stout as Danny Moreno, Major-League rehabber Jorge Alcala, Xander Hamilton, and Juan Mendez combined for five hitless innings. The quartet allowed just one run while fanning seven Marauders (75-54, 40-24) hitters in the process.

With no score in the bottom of the second, Alec Sayre reached on an error and Kyle Schmidt walked with one out. After inclement weather delayed the game for half an hour, Gregory Duran walked to load the bases loaded for *Dillon Tatum, who drew ball four to force in the game’s first run. The next hitter was Yohander Martinez, who rolled a single to center to score Schmidt and make it 2-0 Mussels. Walker Jenkins kept the line moving with a line-drive single to left that pushed the lead to 3-0. Still with one out in the frame, Danny De Andrade sent a sacrifice fly to right to bring home Tatum and make it 4-0 Fort Myers.

In the top of the fourth, Charles McAdoo singled before Kalae Harrison walked. After both runners stole second and third, Esmerlyn Valdez shot a triple to deep right center to cut the deficit to 4-2. Javier Rivas followed with a bloop single to center that cut the Mussels’ lead to one run. After a walk and wild pitch pushed Rivas to third, Mitch Jebb lifted a sacrifice fly to left that tied the game at 4-4.

In the top of the ninth, Javier Rivas walked and stole second to begin the inning. After a groundout advanced him to third, Jebb sent another sacrifice fly to right to give the Marauders the lead and cap scoring at 5-4.

The Mussels will wrap up the 2023 season on Sunday when they send *Ben Ethridge *(3-6, 2.99) to the mound to face Luis Peralta (0-3, 4.96) of the Marauders. First pitch is slated for 12:00 p.m. with coverage beginning at 11:45 a.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.