Marauders Beat Mets 2-1

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PORT ST. LUCIE – Chad Kuhl (W, 12-5) became the first Marauders pitcher to win 12 games in a single season, allowing one run and three hits over six innings as Bradenton defeated St. Lucie 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at Tradition Field. The win puts the Marauders in sole possession of first place, with a half-game lead over Fort Myers and a one game lead over the Palm Beach Cardinals.

Kuhl surrendered his only run, the first for either team in the game, in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jeff McNeil led off with a triple to right field. Gavin Cecchini hit a line drive into shallow center field, just deep enough for McNeil to score on a close play at the plate. Kuhl struck out two and walked one in the game. With one more win he will tie Tyler Waldron’s record for most career wins as a Marauder.

Bradenton rallied against Domingo Tapia (L, 5-8) in the top of the eighth. Max Moroff belted a one-out double to right-center. Tapia went to a full count on Justin Howard and walked him, then did the same with Raul Fortunato. T.J. Chism came on to pitch, and walked Jin-De Jhang to plate the tying run. Ashley Ponce followed with a slow roller in the grass on the third base side for an infield single that brought home Howard with the winning run.

Ryan Hafner tossed the seventh and eighth innings, stranding men at the corners in the eighth. He did not allow a hit. Josh Smith (S, 6) had to deal with a two-out error, but struck out two and also did not allow a hit while collecting his sixth save in six tries.

The rubber game of the series is Monday night at 6:30 p.m. John Kuchno will be on the mound for the Marauders, while the Mets will have Major League rehabber Daisuke Matsuzaka on the mound. The game will be broadcast on www.BradentonMarauders.com.

The box score for Sunday's game can be seen here; the Play-by-Play review can be viewed here.