Clearwater Threshers 1, Bradenton Marauders 0
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Clearwater starter Jarred Cosart pitched 7 scoreless innings and allowed the Marauders just one hit — a single by CF Robbie Grossman in the 7th. That single ended Cosart’s no-hit bid, as he had retired all 18 Marauder batters he’d faced up until that point. After the single, 2B Jarek Cunningham bunted Grosmann to second base and C Ramon Cabrera worked the only walk the Marauders had in the game. DH Aaron Baker bounced into a double play, ending the inning. Cosart also struck out 8 Bradenton batters. Threshers’ reliever Justin Friend took over for Cosart for the final two innings, and he set down the remaining 6 Marauders’ batters in order, with one strikeout.
Unfortunately for the Marauders’ pitchers, they were also pitching well, but couldn’t do much more without getting some run support. Jeff Inman pitched only 2 innings, and he suffered the loss when he gave up the only run of the game, in the top of the 1st. With one out, a single and a stolen base put a runner on second. Inman got another out, then gave up an RBI single, bringing the runner in from second. Inman also gave up 2 singles in the 2nd inning, but a timely strikeout got him out of the inning. No word as to why he left after just 2 innings — injury or pitch count?
Jhonathan Ramos pitched 4 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 6 Clearwater batters. Both walks and one of the hits came in the 3rd inning, to load the bases with two outs, but Ramos ended the frame with a line out. He gave up another single in the 4th, then retired the side in order in the 5th and 6th innings. Porfirio Lopez took the last 3 innings. He allowed a walk in the 8th and a single in the 9th, but erased both runners with double plays.
The whole game took just 2 hours 2 minutes. Clearwater had a total of 7 hits and 2 walks, and left 7 runners on base. The Marauders left just one runner on base.
Kannapolis Intimidators 5, West Virginia Power 1
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The Power also suffered from a lack of Power, posting just 4 hits in the game. Two of those hits were by 2B Kevin Mort, who singled and doubled. C Elias Diaz also singled, as did LF Dan Grovatt, who had the only RBI. The Power’s only run scored in the 6th inning. DH Jairo Marquez reached base on a fielding error at third base, but was forced out at second base when 3B Andy Vasquez grounded to short. Then SS Drew Maggi bounced into another force out, and replaced Vasquez at first base. Mort’s single moved Maggi to second base, and Grovatt’s RBI single brought Maggi across the plate.
There were only two base runners for either team over the first four innings. Power starter Colton Cain gave up a single in the top of the 3rd, and Mort doubled in the bottom of the 4th, but was caught trying to steal third. Kannapolis scored 2 runs in the top of the 5th, on a single, a wild pitch, a walk, and a 2-RBI double. Casey Sadler relieved Cain to begin the 6th. Sadler gave up a double in the 6th and two singles in the 7th, but did not let a run score. Trent Stevenson replaced Sadler to begin the 8th, and he gave up 2 more runs to Kannapolis, on a single and a pair of doubles. Stevenson also gave up a solo home run in the top of the 9th for the Intimidators’ final run.
