Bradenton Marauders 11, St. Lucie Mets 3
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The Marauders won their 7th straight game, as they posted 11 runs on 14 hits. And it could have been more, but the game was halted by rain in the top of the 8th — the only thing stopping the Marauders was Mother Nature.
Newly promoted Brandon Cumpton made his first A+ level start for Bradenton. He started well, retiring the side in order in the 1st, but gave up a run in the 2nd on two singles and an RBI double. Another two singles and an RBI double plus a sacrifice fly gave the Mets 2 runs in the 3rd inning. Cumpton gave up a single in each of the 4th and the 5th, and hit a batter in the 4th, but did not let another run score.
Nate Baker took over for Cumpton in the 6th. He pitched 2 scoreless innings before the rain got in the way, allowing just 2 singles in the 7th.
The Marauders nearly scored in the 2nd inning, when RF Adalberto Santos led off with a double. C Carlos Paulino singled, and Santos tried to score from second, but was thrown out at the plate. Santos singled in the 4th, and moved to second on Paulino’s ground out. This time Santos did score from second, on LF David Rubinstein’s double. The Marauders added a second run in the 5th, on a pair of doubles by CF Robbie Grossman and 1B Aaron Baker.
Down 3-2 going into the 7th, the Marauders took the lead on a single by Aaron Baker and back-to-back home runs by DH Calvin Anderson and 3B Elevys Gonzalez. Then the fun began in the top of the 8th, as the first 5 Marauders reached base safely. Rubinstein singled into right field, and both SS Benji Gonzalez and Grossman walked, loading the bases. The Mets changed pitchers, but that didn’t help — the new reliever John Church walked both 2B Kelson Brown and Aaron Baker to force in two runs (Rubinstein and Benji Gonzalez). After a strikeout by Anderson, Elevys Gonzalez singled into right, plating both Grossman and Brown. Santos walked to load the bases again. Paulino singled into left field, bringing in Aaron Baker with the 5th run of the inning. Rubinstein lined out in his second at-bat of the inning. Then a wild pitch let Elevys Gonzalez score from third — the rain and a wet ball probably had something to do with the wild pitch. With 6 runs in for the Marauders and an 11-3 score, play was halted, and it never resumed.
Anderson’s homer increased his hitting streak to 14 games.
West Virginia Power 3, Hickory Crawdads 1
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SS Drew Maggi drove in all of the Power’s runs, as Victor Black earned his first win of the season. Starter Trent Stevenson gave up the Crawdads’ only run in the bottom of the 1st, with a hit batter and a single, then a steal of home plate. After that, the Power pitchers shut down the Crawdads. Stevenson allowed only one hit and a walk over the rest of his 4 innings. The walk in the 3rd was erased with a double play, and the batter who doubled in the 4th was left stranded. Black pitched 2 scoreless innings, working around a lead-off single in the 5th, and a throwing error and a double in the 6th. C Kawika Emsley-Pai helped out by throwing out the first runner trying to steal second base. Justin Ennis zipped through the last 3 innings, allowing just one single in the 9th. Ennis struck out 4 batters, and earned his first Save.
The Power tied the game in the 3rd inning. Emsley-Pai led off with a walk, and he scored from first on Maggi’s RBI double. Two innings later, Emsley-Pai also began the inning with a walk. He scored again when Maggi slammed a 2-run homer over the left field wall, to give the Power a 3-1 lead. CF Mel Rojas also singled in the 5th after the homer. DH Chase Lyles singled twice, in the 4th and in the 6th. Lyles was erased in a double play in the 6th, and Emsley-Pai also singled in that inning.
Mahoning Valley Scrappers 8, State College Spikes 1
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Six runs by the Scrappers in the bottom of the 1st had the Spikes trying to dig themselves out of a hole for the whole game. Newly signed 22nd round draft pick Mike Jefferson had a disappointing pro debut, not making it out of the 1st inning. Jefferson struck out the first batter he faced, then gave up back-to-back doubles for one run. He hit the next batter, and a single loaded the bases. Jefferson struck out another batter, then surrendered an RBI single, leaving the bases loaded. A double cleared the bases, and sent Jefferson to the showers. Vince Payne came on in relief, and he gave up another double, driving in one more run, also charged to Jefferson. Payne also gave up an unearned run in the 2nd, on a fielding error, stolen base, and an RBI single, to boost the Scrappers to a 7-0 lead.
The Spikes scored their only run in the 3rd. With two outs, Walker Gourley, who was catching today, singled up the middle, moved to second on a walk by LF Alex Fuselier, and an RBI single by CF Taylor Lewis. Things settled down for the next few innings. 2B Brian Sharp singled in the 5th, and both RF Justin Bencsko and DH Carlos Mesa walked in the 6th. Lewis scored again in the 8th, and SS Kirk Singer doubled in the 9th, but the Spikes did not score again.
Payne pitched three more innings, retiring all 9 batters he faced in order. Joan Montero relieved Payne to begin the 6th. He pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowing a single in the 6th and two singles in the 7th. In the bottom of the 8th, Montero began the inning by giving up a single. A ground out, a stolen base, and an RBI ground out brought in one more run for the Scrappers. After a walk and another single, Montero was relieved by Mitch Fienemann, who ended the inning with a fly out.
