Marauders Cool Off Flying Tigers in Doubleheader Sweep
Lakeland, Fla. – The Bradenton Marauders extended their win streak to three games after 4-2 and 6-2 wins over the Lakeland Flying Tigers on Saturday’s doubleheader at Publix Field.
The performance marked their first doubleheader sweep of the season. They’re 4-4 in twin-bill contests this year.
In game one, Marauders starter Victor Cabreja was tremendous, tossing six innings of two-run ball en route to his league-leading ninth win of the season.
Bradenton jumped out to an early lead in the top of the second when Matt King walked and Josh Tate tripled him in with a liner to right center to push them ahead 1-0. The knock earned Tate his first professional hit and RBI after being drafted in the eighth round by the Pirates of this year’s draft.
Later in the frame, Edward Florentino grounded an RBI single to right that pushed Bradenton ahead 2-0.
After Lakeland tied the game with a run apiece in each of the third and fifth innings, Yordany De Los Santos stepped to plate in the top of the seventh and lined a two-run single to left to give the Marauders a 4-2 advantage.
Greiber Mendez recorded the game’s final three outs in the bottom of the frame to earn his first save of the year, and the victory for Bradenton in game one.
In game two, the Marauders struck first in the top of the first when Tony Blanco Jr. grounded an RBI single to left to make it 1-0.
In the bottom of the frame, Lakeland rallied for two runs of their own to jump ahead 2-1.
Both sides traded scoreless innings until the top of the fifth when Bradenton began to threaten again. After Florentino doubled and stole third, De Los Santos sent a liner to center to knot the game at 2-2. On the same play, Lakeland centerfielder Zach MacDonald kicked the ball to the warning track in left center, allowing De Los Santos to advance to third.
With two outs in the frame, De Los Santos scored on a balk to make it 4-2 Bradenton.
The Marauders added on three more on an Edgleen Perez sacrifice fly in the sixth and Blanco Jr. two-run homer in the seventh that capped scoring at 6-2.
With both wins, Bradenton moved to 50-57 overall and 20-21 in the second half. Lakeland fell to 64-40 and 26-14 in the second half. The two return to Publix Field on Sunday at 12:00 a.m. Coverage begins at 11:45 a.m. on the Marauders Broadcast Network.