Marauders' Ninth-Inning Comeback Falls Short in Loss to Tarpons

Bradenton's rally comes up just short in 6-5 defeat against Tampa

Apr. 18, 2026 at 9:21pm

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A cubist-style painting depicting a baseball game, with the players and field broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in shades of blue, green, and orange.The Marauders' late-game rally showcased their resilience, even in a tough loss against the Tarpons.Today in Tampa

The Bradenton Marauders (5-9) mounted a late comeback, with Josh Tate driving in a run in the top of the ninth inning, but ultimately fell short in a 6-5 loss to the Tampa Tarpons (5-9) on Saturday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Murf Gray extended his hitting streak to seven games, while Eddie Rynders and Antonio Pimentel both had multi-hit performances for the Marauders.

Why it matters

The Marauders' loss keeps them below .500 on the season, as they continue to search for consistency in the early going. The game featured a back-and-forth affair, with both teams exchanging leads throughout, showcasing the competitiveness of the rivalry between these two Florida State League clubs.

The details

In the bottom of the first inning, the Tarpons plated two runs off Bradenton starter Reinold Navarro, highlighted by a solo home run from Jackson Lovich. The Marauders got on the board in the top of the second, as Eddie King Jr. reached on a catcher's interference and scored on a single by Eddie Rynders. Tampa added a run in the bottom of the second, but Bradenton answered in the third, with Edward Florentino, Murf Gray, and King Jr. all reaching base to set up a two-run single by Edgleen Perez and a sacrifice fly by Luke Scherrer to give the Marauders a 4-3 lead. The Tarpons regained the advantage with runs in the fourth and fifth innings off Marauders relievers Greiber Mendez and Noah Murdock. In the ninth, Rynders led off with a double and scored on a single by Tate, but Bradenton was unable to complete the comeback.

  • In the bottom of the first inning, Tampa plated two runs off Bradenton starter Reinold Navarro.
  • The Marauders plated their first run of the game in the top of the second against Tarpons starter Danny Flatt.
  • After Tampa scored a run off Navarro in the bottom of the second, Bradenton answered back in the top of the third.
  • The Tarpons took the lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth off Marauders reliever Greiber Mendez and a run in the bottom of the fifth off reliever Noah Murdock.
  • In the top of the ninth, Rynders led off with a double against Tampa reliever Parker Seay. Rynders scored on a single by Tate.

The players

Reinold Navarro

The starting pitcher for the Bradenton Marauders.

Jackson Lovich

A player for the Tampa Tarpons who hit a solo home run in the first inning.

Eddie Rynders

A player for the Bradenton Marauders who had a multi-hit game, including a double that led to a run scored in the ninth inning.

Josh Tate

A player for the Bradenton Marauders who drove in a run with a single in the ninth inning.

Murf Gray

A player for the Bradenton Marauders who extended his hitting streak to seven games.

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What they’re saying

“We came up just short today, but the guys showed a lot of fight to battle back in the ninth. We'll regroup and come out ready to go tomorrow.”

— Josh Tate, Bradenton Marauders Player

What’s next

The Marauders and Tarpons will play the series finale of their six-game set on Sunday with first pitch at 12:00 p.m. EST. RHP Levi Sterling (0-1, 8.53) is on the mound for Bradenton, while RHP J.T. Etheridge (0-0, 0.00) takes the ball for Tampa.

The takeaway

Despite the loss, the Marauders' late-game rally showcased the team's resilience and ability to fight back, even against a tough opponent like the Tarpons. As the season progresses, Bradenton will look to build on these types of competitive performances to climb back to .500 and beyond.