WP: Brad Pacheco (3-3, 4.00)
LP: Dominic Perachi (0-1, 16.88)
SV: Tegan Cain (1)
BRADENTON, FL – Nathan Humphreys started the scoring with a home run, and the Clearwater Threshers (41-26, 1-0) added two more long balls in the first three innings as they cruised to a 6-4 victory over the Bradenton Marauders (31-35, 0-1) on Friday night at LECOM Park. The Threshers look for their third straight win when they return to Bradenton for a Saturday night showdown with the Marauders.
Robert Phelps singled off rehabbing Marauders starter Dominic Perachi on the first pitch of the game but was out at second when Griffin Burkholder reached on a fielder’s choice. With one out in the frame, Nathan Humphreys blasted a two-run home run to centerfield that scored Burkholder and gave the Threshers an early advantage. The Marauders got one run back on a two-out single in the home half of the first. After Jonathan Hogart led off the top of the second by drawing a walk, TJayy Walton tripled the Threshers’ lead with a two-run home run.
A solo home run in the bottom of the second inning cut the Marauders’ deficit to two runs. The Threshers answered with two outs in the top of the third when Juan Villavicencio sent a solo shot out to right field to bring Clearwater’s advantage back up to three runs. Bradenton’s Eddie King Jr. hit a leadoff home run to start the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 5-3.
Bradenton scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch in the eighth inning to cut the deficit to one run. Villavicencio led off the ninth by drawing a walk against Marauders’ reliever Jack Anker. He moved to second on a single by Matthew Ferrara and scored on a two-out single by Lyle Miller-Green to double the Threshers’ lead in the final frame. The final three Marauders were sent down in order in the ninth as the Threshers began the second half with a 6-4 victory.
Brad Pacheco (3-3) surrendered three runs on four hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in 5.0 innings to earn the win. Giussepe Velásquez allowed one run on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 2.1 innings of relief. Tegan Cain retired all five batters he faced in the final 1.2 innings, striking out one without surrendering a hit to get the save.
Walton hit his first homer as a Thresher since July of 2024...Threshers’ batters hit a home run in each of the first three innings...Each of Pacheco’s first three starts in May has gone 5.0 innings...Velásquez came out of the bullpen for the Threshers for the first time since June of 2025...Cain earned his first career save on Friday night...The Threshers will continue a six-game road series against the Bradenton Marauders on Saturday, June 20...First pitch on Saturday evening will take place at 6:30 pm...You can purchase Threshers tickets at ThreshersBaseball.com/tickets or by calling 727-467-4457…The BayCare Ballpark Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 10 am – 5 pm...The box office will be open on Saturdays from 10 am - 3 pm...Visit our website at threshersbaseball.com for information on tickets and promotions for the Threshers season.