Palm Beach Cardinals� 5,� Bradenton Marauders� 2� (Game 1) (box)
Brian Leach struggled in his start for the Marauders in Game 1.� The Marauders gave Leach a 2-run lead, with a run in the 1st on CF Starling Marte’s double and LF Quincy Latimore’s RBI single, then a solo home run by C Eric Fryer in the 2nd.� Palm Beach took the lead in the bottom of the 2nd, on a lead-off homer, then a double, an RBI single, a stolen base, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly.� Leach recovered enough to strike out the next two batters to end the inning, but gave up another run in the 3rd on two singles, a passed ball by Fryer, and an RBI ground out.� Palm Beach scored again in the 5th, on a double and an RBI single.
The Marauders put runners on base in all but one of the innings after they scored in the 2nd.� RF Robbie Grossman and 3B Jeremy Farrell both singled, and SS Shelby Ford walked, but all were left on base.� They came closest to scoring again in the top of the 7th, when Fryer walked and Ford was hit by a pitch, but a grounder force out ended the game.
Craig Hansen pitched the bottom of the 6th for the Marauders, and allowed a only a walk, while striking out 2 batters.
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Cardinals� 2,� Marauders� 1�� (Game 2) (box)
The Marauders also lost the night-cap, with each team scoring in only one inning.� The Cardinals got to starter Matt McSwain in the bottom of the 1st.� The inning began with a fielding error by 3B Jeremy Farrell, then a double, a walk, a single, and another double brought in two runs, one of which was unearned.� McSwain got a double play to end the inning, then retired the next 7 batters he faced.� He gave up a single complicated by a throwing error (also by Farrell) in the 4th, but ended that inning when he turned a line drive back to the mound into a double play.� Diego Moreno and Noah Krol each pitched a scoreless inning for the Marauders.
The Marauders again put runners on base in each inning, but failed to bring any of them around to score except in the 3rd.� With two outs in the 3rd, LF Robbie Grossman and CF Starling Marte hit back-to-back doubles, bringing in Grossman with the Marauders’ only run.� Grossman and Marte each had a single, as did Farrell and 2B Adam Davis, and C James Skelton walked twice, but could not score.
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Lowell Spinners� 6,� State College Spikes� 5 (box)
A 3-run rally in the top of the 9th fell just one run short of tying the game, as the Spikes lost to the Spinners in the second game of the series.� 1B Matt Curry, RF Cole White, and C Miguel Mendez each had 2 hits for the Spikes.� The Spikes scored first, with 2 runs in the top of the 2nd.� Curry opened the inning with a solo homer.� White reached base on a throwing error, moved to third base on 2B Kelson Brown’s double, then scored on Mendez’s sacrifice fly.
Lowell responded in the bottom of the inning with 3 runs on a walk, two singles, and a 2-RBI double off starter Zack Dodson. Dodson pitched into the 5th inning, allowing 2 more hits and another walk, while striking out a total of 6 batters.� He was relieved by Trent Stevenson, who finished the 5th inning, and pitched a scoreless 6th inning.� In the 7th, Stevenson gave up 3 runs on two walks, two singles, and a triple, giving Lowell a 6-2 lead.� Justin Ennis struck out the last batter to finish the 7th, then pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
The Spikes threatened in the 4th, with singles by Curry and White, but a double play got Lowell out of the jam.� LF Adalberto Santos singled in the 6th, and Mendez singled in the 7th, and Santos reached base again on a throwing error in the 8th, but all were left on base.� The Spikes rallied again in the top of the 9th.� White and Mendez both singled, then 3B Andy Vasquez hit his second home run of the season, a 3-run blast that brought the Spikes within one run, 6-5.� But CF Mel Rojas struck out to end the inning and the game before the Spikes could do any more damage.
