Marauders Fall at Home 6-4 on Tuesday Night

BRADENTON, FL — The Bradenton Marauders fell just short on Tuesday night, falling 6-4 to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels at LECOM Park.

After having the bases loaded with one out in the first inning, Fort Myers capitalized in the second with four straight hits plating three runs. Wilfri Castro and Ryan McCarthy doubled before an Angel Del Rosario scored a run to make it 1-0 Mussels. MLB Pipeline’s No. 5 prospect Walker Jenkins then singled home two more to cap off the three-run frame. Carlson Reed walked the last two batters he faced in the inning before Tyler Kennedy entered and stranded three on the basepaths.

Reed pitched his shortest outing of the season, giving up three runs on five hits in 1.2 innings while walking four and striking out one.

Bradenton responded right away with a three-run bottom of the second against Ricky Castro (3-1). Axiel Plaz walked, Solomon Maguire singled to right before Shalin Polanco crushed a three-run home run two batters later to tie the game three. Polanco is now tied with Plaz and Esmerlyn Valdez for the team lead in home runs.

The Marauders took their first lead of the series in the fourth. Enmanuel Terrero walked, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. He eventually scored on a Plaz sacrifice fly to push Bradenton in front 4-3.

The Mighty Mussels scored the game’s final three runs across three different innings. In the fourth, Kennedy walked the bases loaded and issued a two-out walk to Yohander Martinez to tie the game. Greiber Mendez then entered, making his Single-A debut, and retired the final batter to leave the bases loaded.

McCarthy walked to start the fifth against Mendez. He then stole second, advanced to third on a bunt and scored on an RBI groundout to hand the lead back to Fort Myers at 5-4. His RBI single in the sixth inning against Juan Jerez, a position player, capped off the game’s scoring.

Out of the bullpen, Jerez allowed just one run in two innings while Magdiel Cotto tossed a scoreless eighth and ninth inning as well. As a staff, Bradenton walked 12 batters in the first six innings, which is tied for the most in a game this season having not done so since April 9 in Lakeland.

Omar Alfonzo’s six-game hitting streak also came to an end while Maguire reached base safely twice to push his on-base streak to nine games.

The Marauders and Mighty Mussels wrap up their three-game series on Wednesday 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. Bradenton sends RHP Hung-Leng Chang (3-5, 3.83) to the hill while LHP Ross Dunn (1-1, 4.84) goes for Fort Myers.