FSL1 Charlotte Stone Crabs

'Crabs Leave Bradenton with Series After 3-2 Win

Published on August 15, 2015 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Charlotte Stone Crabs News Release


BRADENTON, FL - Michael Johns and his staff was all smiles when the Stone Crabs started celebrating behind the mound on Saturday night in Bradenton. This was a team that was dead in the water for two weeks to begin the month of August, matching a franchise record with 11 straight losses before evening the series against the Marauders with a 3-1 win the night before. In the final regular season meeting between the two teams, pitching prevailed and German Marquez finally beat the Marauders his third time around as the Stone Crabs hung on for a 3-2 win before 3,346 at McKechnie Field.

In a very well played series on both sides, Marquez nearly let all the good feelings fade in the first when the Marauders loaded the bases with three straight one out singles. Following an hour and four minute rain delay at the start, Marquez turned his whole evening around when Wyatt Mathisen popped out to first and Jordan Steranka went down swinging for the final out. In a 10 pitch at bat, Marquez prevailed against the lefty swinging first baseman and earned the first of his two strikeouts across six and two thirds.

Yoel Araujo then picked up from where he left off a night earlier with a one out double into the right field corner in the second. Justin Williams followed with a groundball in front of Araujo, who shielded shortstop Chris Diaz before taking off for third. The ball got through for a base hit, and Jeff Roy's throw from center was a tad late as Araujo slid into home feet first with the game's first run.

Clay Holmes opened the third by walking Braxton Lee, and the Stone Crabs put runners at first and second after Kean Wong bounced an infield single back up the middle. A strikeout of Willy Adames brought up Mike Marjama, who lined a single into right to load the bases with just one out. Maxx Tissenbaum came up and pulled a shot to second for a fielder's choice groundout and a run batted in. Marjama assisted with a hard slide into second that jarred the ball free from Diaz and allowed Wong to score from second for a 3-0 advantage.

Marquez returned the favor in the bottom of the inning when he hit leadoff batter Justin Maffei with his second offering. Two groundouts to the right side from Austin Meadows and Harold Ramirez brought up Jin-De Jhang, who hit his second double in as many nights to get the Marauders their first run and make it 3-1. Mathisen came up again and flied out to Williams in left for the final out, starting a stretch in which Marquez would retire eight of nine.

Michael Johns wanted Marquez (6-11) to finish the seventh after getting the first two outs with just six pitches. However, the plans changed when Maffei lined an 0-2 pitch back up the middle to start Steve Ascher's night in relief. The lefthander started dealing and struck out Meadows on just three pitches, and repeated the feat against Harold Ramirez to start the eighth. With two outs, Mathisen laid into a 3-1 pitch and skied it over the scoreboard in left center for his second home run to make it a 3-2 ballgame. Once Ascher fanned Steranka to retire the side, Mike Franco came in for the ninth and took care of the rest with a nine pitch inning for his first save with the Stone Crabs.

The Stone Crabs return home to start a split four game series with the Fort Myers Miracle on Sunday, August 15 at 1:00 PM. All kids 13 and under eat FREE with the purchase of a regular priced ticket, and tickets are still available, so visit www.stonecrabsbaseball.com or call 941-206-HITS (4487) to order your tickets now!

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Florida State League Stories from August 15, 2015


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