LAKELAND, Fla. (Bradenton Marauders) — Marauders bats fell silent in a 3-1 loss to the Lakeland Flying Tigers on Friday night at Publix Field.
The Marauders (71-46) have lost three of the first four games of the series and will look to salvage the series split over the weekend.
The game began on a promising note for Bradenton, as Endy Rodriguez line a one-out single in the first inning and Jack Herman followed with a walk. After Jackson Glenn struck out, Hudson Head lined a single to left field. Rodriguez, attempting to score from second base, was thrown out at home on a one-hop throw by Lakeland (53-63) left fielder J.D. McLaughlin, making his Low-A debut.
Marauders right-hander Jared Jones (3-6) followed up a scoreless first inning with a rocky second. Jones allowed back-to-back singles to Josh Crouch and Mike Rothenberg, then hit Alvaro Gonzalez with a pitch, loading the bases. Esney Chacon followed with a single to right field, plating two runs, but a strong throw by Head from right field beat Chacon to second base as he attempted to stretch his hit to a double. Carlos Irigoyen added an RBI-groundout to shortstop, giving the Flying Tigers a 3-0 lead.
Lakeland starter Wilmer Flores (4-3) held Bradenton scoreless across five innings, striking out seven. The right-hander limited the Marauders to three hits, all singles, while stranding two runners in scoring position.
Jones, meanwhile, worked four innings for the Marauders, striking out the side in order in the third and working out of a pair of two-out walks in a scoreless fourth. Jones also finished with seven strikeouts.
After right-hander Erick Pinales tossed two innings of scoreless relief behind Flores, the Marauders got to Flying Tigers reliever Ted Stuck in the eighth. Rodriguez laid down a one-out bunt single, and with two outs, Glenn reached on an error and Head walked, loading the bases. Stuka uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Rodriguez to score from third to cut the deficit to 3-1, but Ernny Ordonez grounded out to end the inning, stranding men on second and third.
Stuka retired the side in order in the ninth inning, earning the save.
The Marauders bullpen kept the game within reach for Bradenton bats, as Sergio Umana and Nick Dombkowski each tossed two innings of scoreless relief. Umana escaped a second-and-third, two-out jam in the sixth, while Dombkowski stranded runners on the corners in the eighth.
Glenn went 0-for-4 for the Marauders, ending his on-base streak at a team-best 26 games.
The series continues Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. at Publix Field. RHP Logan Hofmann will start for the Marauders against RHP Nick Davila for the Flying Tigers.
