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Bradenton Marauders� 7,� Fort Myers Miracle� 6 (box)
The Marauders cut short a last-inning rally by the Miracle to take the first game of this double-header.� The Miracle scored first on a double, a ground out, and a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 2st, and the Marauders came right back to tie it with their own double, ground out, and RBI single.
LF Quincy Latimore took the lead for the Marauders with a 2-run homer, following CF Starling Marte’s single, to begin the 3rd inning.� The inning continued with a single by C Eric Fryer, walks to 1B Calvin Anderson and 2B Adam Davis, then an RBI single by SS Greg Picart, and the Marauders had a 4-1 lead.
Starter Brian Leach got into trouble in the bottom of the inning, brought about by a fielding error by Davis at second.� After a lead-off single, the error put runners on first and second, instead of having one on and one out, or maybe even a double play.� The Miracle went on to get a single and a walk, which forced in a run.� A grounder to third let 3B Jeremy Farrell get the force out at the plate, and Leach struck out the next batter.� Then a wild pitch allowed another run to score.� A walk filled the bases again, and an RBI double drove in two runs, giving the Miracle 4 runs (all unearned) in the inning, and a 5-4 lead.� Leach was responsible for those 5 runs, on 6 hits and 3 walks in 5 innings.
The Marauders picked up Leach with 3 more runs in the top of the 6th.� Anderson led off with a walk,� and was replaced by pinch-hitter Austin McClune. Davis singled, then DH Shelby Ford walked to load the bases. � A wild pitch by a new Miracle reliever allowed McClune to score the tying run.� RF Robbie Grossman brought in Davis with the go-ahead run, and Marte’s RBI single plated Ford with an insurance run.
They needed that insurance run.� Tyler Cox pitched a scorless bottom of the 6th.� The Marauders threatened in the top of the 7th, when Farrell walked, Fryer singled, but Farrell was out at the plate on a fielder’s choice off the bat of 1B Erik Huber.� Noah Krol came on to pitch the bottom of the 7th, and he allowed an unearned run on a single, two ground outs, and a fielding error by Farrell.� But Krol struck out the next batter to end the game and preserve the Marauder’s lead and the win, with his 31st save.
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Miracle� 5,� Marauders� 2 (box)
The Marauders were not so fortunate in the night-cap, held to just 5 hits and 2 runs.� C James Skelton drove in those two runs in the 6th, with a 2-RBI double after singles by LF Robbie Grossman and 2B Shelby Ford.� The Marauders were retired in order in the first two innings, then put two runners on base in the 3rd, on a walk by 1B Erik Huber and a single by SS Greg Picart.� CF Starling Marte had the only other hit for the Marauders, to lead off the 4th inning.� He went to second on a ground out, and got to third when the Miracle third baseman missed the catch when Marte tried to steal the base.� None of those runners were able to score, though.
Matt McSwain made the start for the Marauders.� Double plays got McSwain out of jams in each of the first two innings, and he worked around a lead-off single in the 3rd.� But two doubles, two singles, two fielding errors and a throwing error brought in 3 runs for the Miracle in the 4th.� They added two more runs in the 5th on a walk, a single, and an RBI double, before McSwain was relieved by Duke Welker. Welker retired all four batters he faced, including 2 strikeouts, to finish up the game for the Marauders.
Jeremy Farrell left the game in the middle of his at-bat in the 4th inning, but no word as to exactly why.
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West Virginia Power� 4,� Rome Braves� 3 (box)
The Power scored early, then kept the Braves from catching up, despite being out-hit, 9-7.� 3B Elevys Gonzalez began the game by beating out a bunt single, then went to second on a balk.� RF Jose Hernandez and DH Aaron Baker walked to load the bases.� CF David Rubinstein brought in both Gonzalez and Hernandez with a 2-RBI double.� Rome got one run back in the 2nd on a double and two singles, but the Power responded with 2 more runs in the 3rd.� Hernandez doubled, and Baker slammed a 2-run homer.
That was all the scoring the Power would do, though it was enough.� They threatened in the 5th, loading the bases on walks to Hernandez and Rubinstein and a single by Baker, but a grounder force out ended the inning.� SS Benji Gonzalez singled and Elevys Gonzalez walked in the 6th, but were both left on base.� Elevys also singled in the 9th, but was picked off first base.
After Rome scored in the 2nd inning,� Power starter Brett Lorin had only one base runner in the next two innings, when a batter reached on a fielding error.� A throwing error by Lorin contributed to 2 more runs by Rome in the 5th.� After a double, Lorin made the error on a sacrifice bunt, allowing the runner to score from second base.� The next batter bunted for a single, sending the lead runner to third.� That runner stole home (an unearned run), then Lorin gave up a single and a double, and he was relieved by Zach Foster. Foster finished that inning, then threw two more scorless innings, allowing just one single. That earned Foster the win.� Gabriel Alvarado picked up his 4th save with two shutout innings, allowing a single and two walks.
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Mahoning Valley Scrappers� 2,� State College Spikes� 1 (box)
The Spikes fell short in this pitching duel.� Mahoning Valley scored in the top of the 1st, on a double and a single off starter Zac Fuesser. Fuesser gave up two singles in the 2nd and a double in the third, but kept the Scrappers from scoring again in his 4 innings of work.� He struck out 7 batters in those 4 innings.
The Spikes’ batters managed just one hit over the first four innings, when 1B Matt Curry singled to lead off the 2nd.� He was picked off first base and caught stealing, though, as was LF Adalberto Santos, who was hit by a pitch in the 5th.� Curry tied the game in the bottom of the 5th with a solo home run.� A single by RF Cole White and a walk by DH Pat Irvine followed the home run, but they did not score.
Fuesser was relieved by Mitch Fienemann to begin the 5th.� Fienemann retired the side in the 5th, but in the 6th, he gave up a double and an RBI single, to give the lead to the Scrappers.� Brandon Cumpton pitched 2 perfect innings, and Ryan Beckman pitched a scoreless inning in the 9th, allowing just one single.� But the Spikes could not score again either. Their best chance came in the 9th, when White was hit by a pitch, Irvine singled, and 3B Chase Lyles walked, all with two outs, but a fly out ended the threat and the game.
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GCL Pirates� 6,� GCL Phillies� 5 (box)
A 4-run 7th inning and two hits each by RF Gregory Polanco and SS Jorge Bishop gave the Pirates the win this afternoon.� The Pirates struck first, with a run in the 3rd when 1B Dylan Child was hit by a pitch, moved to second base on a passed ball, and scored on DH Junior Sosa’s line drive single into center field.� They added another run in the top of the 4th, on a single by Polanco and an RBi double by Bishop.� The Phillies tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the 4th, with a 2-run homer.� Starter Kevin Kleis scattered three other hits over the first four innings, plus those two runs.
Barrett Phillips relieved Kleis and pitched a scoreless 5th, then the Phillies scored 2 runs in the 6th on two doubles, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly, to take a 4-2 lead.� The Pirates came right back with 4 runs in the top of the 7th.� CF Ping-Hung Chi and Sosa started the inning with back-to-back walks.� Chi was out trying to steal third, but Sosa slid into second safe.� 3B Eric Avila singled, scoring Sosa from second base.� Polanco walked, then a single by Bishop brought in Avila to tie the score.� 2B Luis Solano doubled, and both Polanco and Bishop scored to take a 6-4 lead.
Bryton Trepagnier pitched the 7th inning for the Pirates and allowed the Phillies one more run on a walk, a wild pitch, and a double, but the Pirates still held the lead.� The bottom of the 8th began with Yeyber Sanchez on the mound, but after he walked the first two batters, rain halted play.� The game was ended early, with Phillips earning his 5th win.
