Hernandez Punches Out Eight, Marauders Earn Opening Day Victory
Gray and Suero homer, Tejada collects 2.0 inning save
DUNEDIN, Fla. – Seth Hernandez fanned eight batters over 3.0 frames, pushing the Bradenton Marauders (1-0) to a 6-4 win over the Dunedin Blue Jays (0-1) on Friday from TD Ballpark. Estuar Suero and Murf Gray each homered, while Clevari Tejada notched a 2.0 inning save.
After the Blue Jays scored a run against Hernandez in the bottom of the first, the Marauders answered back off Dunedin starter Trey Yesavage in the top of the third. Suero drove a flyball off the right field wall and legged out an inside-the-park home run to make it a 1-1 ballgame.
The Bradenton offense exploded for three runs in the top of the seventh off Dunedin reliever Dylan Watts. Gray laced a rocket over the right centerfield wall to give the Marauders a 2-1 lead. After Brent Iredale and Edgleen Perez worked back-to-back walks, Eddie King Jr. singled to plate Iredale from second and make it 3-1. Cristain Jauregui knocked a base hit to left, plating Perez from second and increasing the lead, 4-1.
Dunedin tied the game off Bradenton reliever Draven Zeigler in the bottom half of the inning, but the Marauders bounced back in the top of the eighth against Blue Jays reliever Carson Myers.
Josh Tate and Dylan Palmer gained back-to-back singles, putting runners on second and first. Gray singled to left, moving Palmer to third and scoring Tate to make it a 5-4 ballgame. Palmer was plated on an RBI sacrifice fly to center by Iredale, moving the score, 6-4.
Tejada tossed scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth innings, stamping a 6-4 Marauders victory.
Zeigler (1-0) collected the win, allowing a hit over 0.1 innings. Myers (0-1) took the loss, letting up two runs on four hits with a strikeout over 1.0 frame. Tejada (1) notched the save, earning a strike out over 2.0 scoreless innings.
The Marauders wrap up their three-game series against the Blue Jays with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 4 from TD Ballpark. First pitch for game one is set for 4:00 p.m. EST with game two beginning approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Reinold Navarro gets the ball for the Marauders in game one and Levi Sterling for game two.
For more information about the Bradenton Marauders, please call 941-747-3031, visit www.BradentonMarauders.com, or email MaraudersInfo@pirates.com.
