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Class-A: Bradenton Pounds St. Lucie 11-6 To Open FSL Playoffs

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Photo by Gabe Rodriguez/LOD

The Bradenton Marauders and the St. Lucie Mets began the minor league postseason on Tuesday at Tradition Field with a hitting barrage.  Both teams came out swinging the bats, but the Marauders with six in the first and five in the seventh pulled away for an 11-6 Game 1 victory.

In the first with the Mets Chris Flexen (10-9, 3.56 ERA) on the mound, Bradenton went to work with five straight singles to open the game. After a strikeout for the first out, Jordan Luplow was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Christian Kelley hit a single that scored three runs also aided by a throwing error from center fielder Patrick Biondi. In all the Marauders took a quick 6-0 lead.

After four scoreless innings from both sides, the Mets finally got on the board with three runs in the bottom of the fifth highlighted by a two-run single from Biondi and an RBI double off the bat of David Thompson.

But the Pittsburgh Pirates Class A affiliate would pull away for good with five runs in the top of the seventh inning. After a Mets pitching change, Pablo Reyes greeted Alex Palsha with a line drive double to left field. Three straight singles score two runs before Luplow unloads a three run shot to left field to extend the lead to 11-3.

St. Lucie manages a comeback with a run in the bottom of the frame on Thompson’s second RBI double, and two in the bottom of the ninth on a bases loaded walk from Tomas Nido and a ground out off the bat of John Mora, but that is how close the Mets would get as the Marauders take Game 1 and lead the best of three, 1-0.

Game Notes

Bradenton: RISP 9 for 16, LOB 6
St. Lucie: RISP 3 for 13, LOB 10

Top Performers

Bradenton
Pablo Reyes – 4 for 5, 2 R, Double
Kevin Kramer – 3 for 5, 2 R
Jerrick Suiter – 2 for 5, 2 R, 2 RBI
Chase Simpson – 3 for 4, 2 R, 3 RBI
Jordan Luplow – 1 for 4, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Mitch Keller (W, 1-0) – 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 8 K

St. Lucie
Patrick Biondi – 2 for 4, 3 R, RBI
David Thompson – 3 for 5, R, 2 Doubles, 2 RBI
Domingo Tapia – 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Tyler Bashlor – 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K

David Conde
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