Herald staff report

LAKELAND -- The Bradenton Marauders will carry their first place standing in the South Division into August, assuring themselves of that placement with a 6-2 win over the Flying Tigers on Tuesday night at Joker Marchant Stadium.

Casey Sadler pitched seven innings and allowed two runs to earn the win.

The game was a pitchers' duel between Sadler and Shawn Teufel. Teufel was tough on the Marauders, but Bradenton (20-18) grabbed two runs in the fourth.

Dan Grovatt tripled home Carlos Mesa and then scored on Kawika Emsley-Pai's suicide squeeze. The Flying Tigers (19-19) answered with a run in the fifth and another in the sixth to knot the score 2-2.

In the seventh Sadler was faced with a jam after allowing a one-out triple to James Robbins. Sadler escaped trouble with first pitch groundouts from the next two batters.

The Marauders exploded for four runs in the eighth off Ryan Wooley. Kirk Singer, Grovatt and Emsley-Pai all drove in runs with two out to take the 6-2 lead.

Grovatt finished 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, two runs scored and three RBIs. Mel Rojas Jr. was 4-for-4 at the plate with a double and a run scored.

Jason Townsend recorded the final six outs out of the pen. He struck out one batter and did not allow a hit.

Game three of the series is at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday night.