The Curve threatened in the 6th, with a walk to Hague and a single by 2B Josh Harrison giving them runners on the corners. �Both were left on base when a ground out ended the inning. �After Erie took the lead in the 7th, Altoona had two runners on again in the bottom of the inning, when Jim Negrych and 3B Jordy Mercer both walked, but the Curve could not take advantage of the situation.
Dustin Molleken was charged with both a Blown Save and his second loss of the season. �He pitched two more innings to finish the game, and gave up two walks.
Negrych went 2-for-4, with a single in the 1st inning — he was picked off base and caught stealing that time.
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Bradenton Marauders 6, �St. Lucie Mets 5 (box)
The Mets out-hit the Marauders 13-7, and also out-errored them 4-2, and the Marauders were able to take advantage of the mistakes to get the win.
The Marauders’ errors came in the first two innings. �A fielding error by 3B Jeremy Farrell put a runner on base in the 1st inning, but a fly-out-throw-out double play erased that problem. �In the 2nd inning, starter Brian Leach got into trouble with a lead-off double, followed by a fielding error by SS Brock Holt. Another double drove in the first run, then a single brought in two more runs. �After a ground out on a ball back to the mound, another RBI single made the score 4-0.
The Marauders came right back in the top of the 3rd with 4 unearned runs. �Brock Holt led off with a single, and 2B Greg Picart reached base on the first error of the inning (fielding). �CF Starling Marte was hit by a pitch, and C Tony Sanchez plated Holt with a sacrifice fly. �When Quincy Latimore struck out, the third pitch was wild — Picart scored, Marte ended up on third base, and Latimore was safe at first. �The Mets’ pitcher tried to pick Latimore off first base, but his throw was wild (error #2) and Marte scored, while Latimore went to third base. �Jeremy Farrell also struck out, but a passed ball let Latimore score and put Farrell on first. �1B Erik Huber reached base on another fielding error (#3), but a fly out and a ground out ended the inning, with the score tied at 4-4.
Brian Leach got into trouble in the bottom of the 3rd with two walks and a single to lead off the inning. �A grounder to first let Huber throw out the lead runner at the plate, but an RBI single gave the Mets a 5-4 lead. �The Marauders came back again in the top of the 4th. �With two outs, Marte singled and Sanchez plated him with an RBI double, tying the score again. �Latimore reached base on Mets’ error #4 (fielding), and Sanchez came in to score the go-ahead run.
The Marauders’ bats were quiet after that. �For the remaining 5 innings, the only batter to reach base was RF Austin McClune, who doubled in both the 5th and the 8th innings.
Brian Leach pitched 4.2 innings, and allowed those 5 runs (4 earned) on 8 hits and 3 walks, with 2 strikeouts. �When Leach gave up a single and a walk in the 5th, Casey Erickson finished off the inning with a pop out. �Erickson gave up a single in the 6th, but got a double play to end the inning. �He gave up three singles in the 7th, but an on-target throw in from center field by Starling Marte on the third single allowed Tony Sanchez to tag the lead runner out at the plate to end the inning. �Erickson earned the win, his first of the season. �Tom Boleska pitched a scoreless 8th inning, and Noah Krol earned his 5th save with a scoreless 9th inning.
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