Bradenton Marauders �9, �Ft. Myers Miracle �4 (box)
SS Greg Picart led the offense with 3 hits and 2 RBI as the Marauders outran the Miracle on Thursday night. �The Marauders began their scoring in the 2nd inning. �LF Quincy Latimore started with a single, 1B Calvin Anderson walked, and CF Austin McClune beat out what was intended to be a sacrifice bunt for another single, loading the bases without an out being recorded. �A grounder force out by 2B Adenson Chourio brought in Latimore, and Picart’s single scored both Anderson and Chourio to give the Marauders a 3-0 lead.
The Miracle got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning, on two walks, a wild pitch by Bradenton starter Casey Erickson, and a sacrifice fly. �But the Marauders kept going, adding a run in the top of the 3rd. �Latimore singled with 2 outs, then stole second base. �Anderson’s RBI single plated Latimore. �Chourio and Picart hit back-to-back singles in the 4th, then both pulled off a double steal, moving them to second and third bases. �RF Robbie Grossman struck out, but when the Miracle catcher dropped strike three and had to throw to first to finish the strikeout, Chourio alertly raced for the plate and scored. �3B Jeremy Farrell followed with a 2-run homer, and the Marauders had a 7-1 lead.
Starter Casey Erickson earned his 3rd win with 5 innings of work, allowing that one run on 2 hits and 2 walks, with 2 strikeouts. �Melkin Laureano struck out the side around a double in the 6th, but got into trouble in the 7th. �A single, a walk, a wild pitch on strike three, and another single brought in one run. �Tyler Cox relieved Laureano, and the first batter he faced brought in another run with a sacrifice fly. �Cox gave up a walk and hit a batter, loading the bases. �Mike Colla relieved Cox, and he hit the first batter he faced, forcing in the third run of the inning, before ending the inning with a ground out. �That was all the Miracle would get, though, as Colla went on to pitch 2 more scoreless innings.
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Lakewood Blue Claws �8, �West Virginia Power �2 (box)
The Blue Claws boomed out two 2-run homers in the first inning, and didn’t look back, as they out-hit the Power 13 – 5. �Power starter Kyle McPherson did not make it out of the 2nd inning, when a walk, a fielding error, and a sacrifice fly brought in an unearned run. �Then McPherson walked a batter and hit another with a pitch, loaded the bases with 2 outs. �He was relieved by Ryan Kelly, who finished that inning, then pitched three more. �Kelly gave up another unearned run in the 3rd, on an error and a double. �He also allowed 2 hits in the 4th, and had to deal with another error, but a double play kept the Blue Claws from scoring again.
Zach Foster took 2 innings, had he also gave up a run in each inning, including a home run in the 7th. �Duke Welker pitched the final two innings, giving up a single in the 9th, and 2 singles in the 9th.
The Power batters could not keep up. �Their only runs came in the 3rd inning, when DH Kyle Morgan led off with a double, then CF Evan Chambers smacked a 2-run home run. �2B Jarek Cunningham followed the homer with a double, but was left on base. �Chambers had also singled in the 1st inning, and 3B Jesus Brito singled in the 4th. �Cunningham and LF Rogelios Noris each walked, one in the 5th and one in the 6th, and they were the only Power batters to reach base for the remainder of the game.
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