Fueled by excellent pitching and timely hitting, the Lakeland Flying Tigers (51-57, 20-23) notched their first shutout in nearly three months in a 3-0 win over the Bradenton Marauders (47-62, 16-28) on Thursday night at Joker Marchant Stadium.
Lakeland began the scoring with two runs in the second off starter Levi Sterling. Brady Ballinger walked, Ronald Ramirez singled and both advanced 90 feet on a balk. Enderson Delgado drove both runners in on a single to give the Flying Tigers a 2-0 lead.
Lakeland added one more run in the fifth off Sterling. Zach MacDonald doubled, stole third and scored on a wild pitch, extending the lead to 3-0.
Neither team scored the rest of the way, with Lakeland notching its fourth shutout of the season and its first since May 14 at Clearwater.
Flying Tigers starter Cale Wetwiska (2-0) got the win, tossing a career-high 5.0 shutout innings while scattering five hits and four walks while punching out three. Sterling (4-6) took the tough-luck loss, going a career-high-tying 6.0 innings while allowing three runs on three hits while punching out a career-high 11 with two walks. Reliever Pedro Garcia (1) nabbed his first save of the season, throwing a season-high 4.0 shutout frames while surrendering two hits and striking out four.
The Flying Tigers will look to take a 3-1 series lead on Friday at 6:30 p.m. RHP Malachi Witherspoon (3-5, 6.23) is set to square off against Bradenton RHP Irwin Ramirez (0-3, 7.76).
