Mighty Mussels top Marauders 6-4 in 10 innings
BRADENTON, Fla. — Julio Bonilla threw an immaculate inning to record his first save of the season as the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels defeated the Bradenton Marauders 6-4 on Tuesday night at LECOM Park.
Leading off the top of the 10th, Blaze O’Saben shot a single into center, plating auto-runner Caleb McNeely and putting Fort Myers (43-52, 16-15) ahead for good. Two batters later, Harry Genth, who was just added to the roster earlier today, followed with a single to left in his first professional at bat to make it 6-4.
Bonilla worked an immaculate bottom of the 10th to earn his first save of the season as he struck out the side on nine pitches. Ivran Romero (4-1), who pitched a season high 2.2 innings, kept the game tied and sent it to extras as he recorded a season high six strikeouts. Romero and Bonilla struck out the final six Bradenton (44-52, 15-16) hitters and eight of the final 10 batters of the game.
The Mussels are now 8-1 in extra inning games.
Leading off the game, Dameury Pena shot an opposite field single into shallow right field. Yasser Mercedes followed with a 105.2 mph double to left. Marauders left fielder Ian Farrow dove for the ball but fell short of making the catch, as Dameury Pena dashed around the bases to make it 1-0 just two batters into the game.
In the third, Peyton Carr reached on an infield single with one out. Two batters later, McNeely blasted a hanging changeup from Matt Ager halfway up the left field bleachers to extend the Mussels’ lead 3-0.
Mussels’ starter Christian Becerra cruised over his five innings of work. Despite not recording a strikeout, the righty worked five scoreless frames while allowing just two hits and two walks. He retired 10 in a row from the second through the fifth and sat down 11 of his final 12 batters faced. He threw 40 of his 57 pitches for strikes. The effort lowered his season ERA to 1.87.
Still leading 3-0 in the seventh, Daniel Pena led off with a four pitch walk. He then went first to third on a single from O’Saben. Jefferson Valladares delivered a sacrifice fly to center, plating Daniel Pena and making it 4-0.
Bradenton responded in the bottom of the frame when Richard Ramirez hit a leadoff homer off of Dylan Questad to open the Marauder scoring. Another pair of hits to open the inning set up a sacrifice fly from Ian Farrow to make it 4-2. Later in the frame, Edward Florentino shot a two-run single to right field off Ivran Romero, tying the game 4-4. Bradenton sent nine men to the plate in their half of the seventh.
Romero worked a clean eighth and stranded the winning run in scoring position when he struck out the side in the ninth, setting the table for O’Saben, Genth and Bonilla in the tenth. Fort Myers never trailed in the contest.
The Mussels continue their series in Bradenton on Today. Adrian Bohorquez (2-3, 4.67) starts for the Mussels, opposite Clevari Tejada (4-4, 4.09). First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m., with coverage beginning at 6:20 p.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.