Marauders Top Manatees 4-1 in Series Opener at McKechnie

BRADENTON -- Nick Kingham set a new Marauders’ franchise record by striking out 13 Brevard County Manatees in a 4-1 Marauders win. Kingham accomplished the feat in six scoreless innings, yielding only three singles, and no walks.

photo by secondshotphoto.com

Kingham started the game with three swinging strikeouts in the first inning. He surrendered back-to-back singles in the second inning, but with two on and nobody out he got a fly out from Yadiel Rivera, then struck out two more Manatees. He proceeded to strike out two batters in each inning before being lifted after six. Of the 13 strikeouts, 10 were swinging and three were looking.

The previous record was held by Matt McSwain, who struck out 11 Jupiter Hammerheads over six innings on April 18, 2011. The record 12th strikeout for Kingham came on a controversial check-swing foul tip call on Brevard County leadoff man Brandon Macias for the first out of the sixth inning. Macias checked his swing, but after the umpires conferenced they ruled that the ball had contacted the bat and been caught by Jacob Stallings. After a fly out by Greg Hopkins, Nick Ramirez went down swinging for the 13th strikeout.

David Goforth (L, 1-3) matched zeroes with Kingham until the fifth. Willy Garcia singled in the infield to lead off the inning and moved to second on a throwing error on the play. Taylor Lewis singled home Garcia. It was the first time the Marauders had scored the first run at home in 12 tries this season.

Carlos Mesa added an RBI-double off Andre LaMontagne in the seventh to stretch the lead to 2-0. Jose Osuna and Garcia each drove in a run in the eighth to stretch the lead to 4-0.

The Manatees scored and put the tying runs on against Zac Fuesser in the ninth, but Emmanuel De Leon induced a game ending 6-4-3 double play from Chadwin Stang to end the game.

Game two of the series is Monday night at 6:30 p.m. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. Matt Benedict will start for the Marauders against Brent Suter for Brevard County.

On Saturday night, the St. Lucie Mets exploded at the plate, pounding out 12 hits to defeat the Marauders 13-5  at Tradition Field. Eight Mets starters had at least one hit.

The Marauders held leads of 3-0, 4-3, and 5-4, but a six-run outburst by the Mets against three pitchers in the fifth staked St. Lucie to a 10-5 lead that was never threatened. Gregory Polanco went 2-for-5, including his second home run of the season. Jose Osuna had a two-run single in the first inning.

Neither starting pitcher factored in the decision. Marcos Camarena was lifted with two down in the fourth, and Robby Rowland faced only one batter in the bottom of the fifth before being hooked as well. Quinton Miller (L 1-3) took the loss for Bradenton, while Estarlin Morel (W 2-2) was the victor in relief for St. Lucie.

Aderlin Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with two doubles, and Charley Thurber crushed a three-run homer to power the Mets offense.