Tampa Yankees �7, �Bradenton Marauders �3 (box)
Same score, different results. �The Yankees scored 5 runs over the last two innings to get past the Marauders. �Tampa opened the game with a lead-off home run, then scored again in the 2nd inning on 2 singles and an RBI ground out. �Those were the only runs that Bradenton starter Brian Leach allowed, on 6 hits and a walk over 5 innings.
Two rows of donuts followed, as Leach worked around a double in the 3rd, a single and a walk in the 4th, and another single in the 5th. �Tyler Cox came on to start the 6th inning, and he retired the side in that inning, then allowed only a walk in the 7th.
At the same time, the Marauders were not getting anywhere either. �3B Jeremy Farrell singled in the 2nd and SS Brock Holt singled in the 3rd. �LF Quincy Latimore was hit by a pitch in the 4th, and C Tony Sanchez walked in the 7th. �All four of those runners were left stranded.
Tampa got busy again in the top of the 8th. �With Cox still on the mound and one out, a walk, a stolen base, and a wild pitch put a runner on third, and a double drove him in to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead. �Casey Erickson relieved Cox, but he gave up a single and a walk to load the bases, and a double plated two more runs, pushing the Yankees’ lead to 5-0.
The Marauders answered with 3 runs in the bottom of the inning. �With two outs, Holt singled, and RF Robbie Grossman doubled, scoring Holt. �Latimore tripled into left field, bringing in Grossman, then Sanchez singled to plate Latimore. �Yankees 5, Marauders 3.
But the Yankees weren’t done yet. �Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs to start the 9th. �a grounder to Jeremy Farrell at third was relayed to Tony Sanchez, forcing the lead runner out at the plate for a temporary reprieve. �But the next batter doubled, scoring two runs, before Erickson could get the next two outs. �The Marauders could not respond, and the Yankees had the win.
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West Virginia Power �5, �Hickory Crawdads �3 (box)
Ten hits, including 3 by RF David Rubinstein, and 7 strong innings of work by Nate Baker brought a win for the Power on Saturday. �Baker allowed only one single over the first 3 innings, then gave up a 2-run homer following a single in the 4th. �He worked around a single in the 5th and a hit batter in the 6th, then finished his work by retiring the side in order in the 7th.
The Power started off with 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st. �CF Evan Chambers began the inning with a lead-off homer, then DH Aaron Baker lined a single into right field and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. �He scored on Rubinstein’s first hit, a line drive double into center field.
After the Crawdads tied the score at 2-2 in the 4th, the Power came back in the bottom of the inning to take the lead again on an unearned run. �3B Jesus Brito reached second base on a fielding error, and tried to score on 1B Kyle Morgan’s single, but Brito was thrown out at the plate. �Morgan stole second base, and he scored on SS Benji Gonzalez’s single complicated by a missed catch error (no RBI).
The Power added 2 insurance runs in the 5th. �Aaron Baker doubled, then two wild pitches, both with LF Rogelios Noris at the plate, advanced Baker to third, then let him score. �Noris struck out, but Rubinstein singled for his second hit, went to second base on yet another wild pitch, then scored on C Ramon Cabrera’s RBI single.
Zach Foster pitched the final two innings for the Power. �He gave up a run in the 8th without benefit of a hit. �The first batter of the inning reached first base safely when Foster threw a wild pitch for strike three, and a ground out moved him to second base. �Another ground out advanced the runner to third base, and another wild pitch by Foster gave him the chance to score. �Foster gave up a walk in the 9th, but did not let another run score. �Nate Baker earned his 4th win of the season, and Foster earned his 4th save.
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