Bradenton 9, St. Lucie 4

PORT ST. LUCIE – LHP Brandon Waddell (W 3-0) was great again on the mound as the Bradenton Marauders (8-9) dispatched the St. Lucie Mets (10-7) 9-4 on Saturday night at Tradition Field. Waddell fired seven innings, allowed three hits and one run while striking out six. He did not allow a walk in the longest start by a Marauder this season.

The Marauders capitalized on nine walks to bounce back from an early 1-0 deficit. Scarlyn Reyes (L, 0-3) issued six free passes and allowed six runs, all earned. He did not record a strikeout.

CF Elvis Escobar singled in the third inning, stole second, and scored the tying run on a bases loaded single by LF Jordan Luplow. Bradenton went ahead for good in the fourth on the first of three doubles by DH Pablo Reyes. He doubled home RF Michael Suchy for a 2-1 lead.

C Taylor Gushue crushed his second home run of the season in the fifth inning. The two-run shot extended the lead to 4-1. Reyes made it 6-1 with another double to score two later in the inning.

Amed Rosario hit a three run home run off RHP Junior Lopez in the bottom of the eighth ot bring the Mets within two, but the Marauders got all three runs back in the ninth on a three-run triple by 3B Chase Simpson. RHP Nick Neumann earned a four out save on the mound for the Marauders.