FSL1 Charlotte Stone Crabs

Marauders Edge 'Crabs 6-4

Published on August 7, 2015 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Charlotte Stone Crabs News Release


PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - What has made the Stone Crabs current funk so frustrating is that they've been in quite a few games where a couple of breaks haven't gone their way. In losing three straight to the division leading Cardinals, the `Crabs wasted leads in games one and three only to lose by a run in both games. With Bradenton in town to begin a six game homestand, the game started with haymakers as the teams were tied at four through three innings. It turned out to be another night where the opposition put some distance between them late, and two Marauders runs were the difference in a 6-4 final before 4,171 at Charlotte Sports Park.

Buddy Borden took the mound in the first and got two quick groundouts to second to start the night. He nearly got another off the bat of Harold Ramirez, but the ball skipped off Kean Wong for a crucial error that allowed the inning to continue. First baseman Jordan Steranka served a base hit into left, and Jin-De Jhang continued his seasonal torment of the `Crabs with a bullet of a home run to right for his second longball and a 3-0 lead.

Luis Heredia nearly gave it all back in the home second because a Marauders error opened the door for a big inning. After getting two outs following Maxx Tissenbaum's leadoff double, Pat Blair chased a 2-2 pitch in the dirt for a dropped third strike. The ensuing throw from Reese McGuire eluded Steranka, who might have lost it in the sun, and the `Crabs were on the board at 4-1. With Blair at second, Braxton Lee singled him home and Andrew Velazquez followed with a triple to right center to make it a one run game. However, Heredia struck out Wong looking for the final out as both teams' pitchers took advantage of the low strike being given.

Marauders manager Michael Ryan started to get lefthander Andy Otamendi up in the bullpen in the second, but stuck with Heredia in the third. With two outs and the bases empty, Tissenbaum laid into a 1-0 pitch and crushed it over the right field wall to tie it up on his first home run of the season. Heredia only went four innings, and would retire four of the next five before turning it over to Otamendi in the fifth.

A takeaway from the game was Mike Franco, who relieved Borden with two outs in the fifth by striking out Jhang looking for the final out. That was pretty much the story for last year's seventh round pick out of Florida International University, who worked two and a third hitless innings with one walk and four strikeouts. Otamendi's (4-5) final inning in the seventh started with a bang after Lee rocketed his first triple to right center to start the frame and stay perfect at three-for-three. Velaquez then sent a hard chopper to third for the first out, and Lee wisely held on at third where he remained as the tie-breaking run. Michael Johns called for the suicide squeeze, and Otamendi's first pitch to Wong was high and wide. There wasn't much of a chance for Wong to get his bat on the ball to protect Lee, who ran right into the tag at home for the second out.

With the momentum back in their favor, the Marauders went to work against Steve Ascher (7-2) in the eighth. Jhang lined a one out single back up the middle, and advanced to second on McGuire's soft groundball in front of the mound. Wyatt Mathisen, who had led off the second with a single and scored the Marauders fourth run, cracked a triple to deep left center to put Bradenton up 5-4. In the ninth, Austin Meadows took an 0-2 pitch from Isaac Gil into the Stone Crabs bullpen in right, and the two out blast put the Marauders ahead for good 6-4. Lee kept the ninth inning going against Dovydas Neverauskas with a double down the left field line for his second career four-hit game, but Velazquez would go down looking to send Charlotte to its fifth straight loss for the second time this season.

The series continues on Saturday night at 7:00 when Greg Harris (1-0, 3.97 ERA) looks to get the Stone Crabs back on track against Bradenton's Cody Dickson (9-5, 4.25 ERA). It's Faith Night at Charlotte Sports Park, as well as a gym bag giveaway presented by Garden State Fireworks. 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 7, 2015


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