Walkoff Winner! Marauders Take Game 1 over Tampa, 4-3

BRADENTON, Fla. — Late drama abounded Tuesday night at LECOM Park, as the Marauders rallied from behind for a walkoff win, 4-3, over the Tampa Tarpons in Game 1 of the Low-A Southeast League Championship Series.

Trailing 3-2 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Marauders (1-0) got a one-out single from Maikol Escotto. Sammy Siani followed with a walk, and Jackson Glenn grounded into a fielder’s choice, erasing Siani at second base for the second out. But Endy Rodriguez lined a game-tying RBI-single to right field, and after Dariel Lopez was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Abrahan Gutierrez watched four straight pitches from right-hander Jack Neely (0-1) miss the strike zone, forcing home the winning run.

The game was scoreless through the first five innings, with the Marauders’ Adrian Florencio and Tampa’s Blas Castano dueling with scoreless innings on the mound.

The Tarpons (0-1) struck first, as Florencio served up a two-out solo homer to Antonio Gomez in the sixth inning for a 1-0 Tampa lead. The right-hander recovered to strike out Cooper Bowman and was finished after six innings, striking out seven.

Castano, meanwhile, shut out the Marauders over 5.1 innings, striking out 5 and turning the game over to Michael Giacone in the sixth, who pitched around two inherited Bradenton runners.

After a two-hour weather delay in the middle of the seventh inning, the Marauders struck back, as Ernny Ordonez and Maikol Escotto hit back-to-back solo homers off left-hander Clay Aguilar, giving Bradenton a 2-1 lead.

The advantage proved short-lived, however, as Marauders reliever Justin Meis loaded the bases for Tampa in the eighth with two walks and a hit-by-pitch, then saw a soft single by Gomez fall into center field, plating two runs for a 3-2 Tampa lead. Wandi Montout (1-0) entered to pitch and induced a fielder’s choice grounder before getting Anthony Garcia to ground into an inning-ending double play, keeping the deficit at one run.

The Marauders left runners stranded on the corners in the bottom of the eighth, but Montout delivered a scoreless top of the ninth to set up Bradenton’s comeback in the home half.

Rodriguez’s game-tying RBI-single came as part of a 4-for-5 night. Escotto’s go-ahead homer in the seventh was his first home run since July 31.

The championship series continues with Game 2 on Wednesday with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. at LECOM Park. RHP Luis Ortiz will start for the Marauders against RHP Blane Abeyta for the Tarpons.

For more information about the Bradenton Marauders, please call (941) 747-3031, visit BradentonMarauders.com, or email [email protected].

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