Charlotte Stone Crabs 10, Bradenton Marauders 1
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Two big innings gave the Stone Crabs plenty of firepower to pinch the Marauders. Charlotte put up their first crooked number in the bottom of the 2nd. Five consecutive singles began the inning, driving in 3 runs. After a fly out and a wild pitch by starter Jason Erickson, another single added the 4th run of the inning. A double play finally ended the rally.
The Power got one run back in the top of the 3rd. LF David Rubinstein led off with a single up the middle. A double by SS Benji Gonzalez moved Rubinstein to third base, and a walk to Robbie Grossman loaded the bases. 2B Jarek Cunningham’s sacrifice fly let Rubinstein tag up and score the Marauders’ only run of the game.
Erickson began the bottom of the 3rd with a double and a hit batter, then was replaced by Nate Baker. Baker retired the next three batters in order, leaving two Crabs on base. Baker did give up one run in the 4th, when he loaded the bases with a single and two walks, then hit a batter with a pitch to drive in a run. Jhonathan Ramos pitched two scoreless innings, allowing only a walk.
After the 3rd inning, the Marauders had only one more hit, a single by DH Calvin Anderson to lead off the 4th. A double play erased Anderson. The only Bradenton base runners after that reached base on walks — C Ramon Cabrera in the 6th, and again in the 9th, and CF Evan Chambers also walked in the 9th. Nine Marauders’ batters struck out over the last 5 innings of the game.
Charlotte had another big inning in the bottom of the 8th. Tyler Cox pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the 7th, but got into trouble in the 8th. Three singles loaded the bases with one out, then 2B Tyler Bortnick gave the Stone Crabs 4 runs with a grand slam. A fielding error and a single followed the grand slam, and Zach Foster relieved Cox. Foster gave up an RBI ground out, which brought in the 5th run of the inning.
West Virginia Power 4, Lakewood Blue Claws 3
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Rain halted play in the 7th inning in Charleston, WVa, but the Power had the lead, and were awarded the win in the shortened game. The Power jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st. SS Drew Maggi led off with a double and RF Dan Grovatt tripled, scoring Maggi. Grovatt scored on LF Justin Howard’s RBI ground out. CF Mel Rojas continued the rally with a walk, then stole second base. He scored from second on DH Elias Diaz’s RBI line drive single.
Colton Cain made the start for the Power. He gave up 3 runs on 6 hits, no walks, in 6 innings, with 6 strikeouts. He worked around a lead-off double in the top of the 1st, and a single in the 2nd. A triple and an RBI ground out gave Lakewood one run in the 3rd inning. Two singles and a sacrifice fly brought in another run in the 4th. Cain hit a batter with a pitch to lead off the 6th, then a stolen base and an RBI single brought in the third Lakewood run. Porfirio Lopez relieved Cain to begin the 7th, and he pitched a scoreless inning, allowing a two-out double.
The Power loaded the bases in the 2nd inning, when C Kawika Emsley-Pai walked, Maggi singled, and Grovatt walked. A ground out left all three stranded. They picked up an insurance run in the 4th. 3B Eric Avila and Emsley-Pai started that rally with back-to-back singles. Maggi dropped down a sacrifice bunt, but the Lakewood pitcher made a wild throw to 1st base, allowing Avila to score. Maggi was thrown out trying to steal second base, then 2B Andy Vasquez lifted a long fly ball for the second out. Emsley-Pai tried to tag up and score on the fly out, but was thrown out at the plate.
Maggi started the bottom of the 7th with a ground out to second base. Play was halted at that point, and never resumed.
