Minor-league report: Marauders win ninth straight ... with help from a turtle

Originally posted on DK Pittsburgh Sports
By Corey Crisan | Last updated 5/12/24

A look at Saturday’s minor-league action within the Pirates' system ...

INDIANAPOLIS (17-18) lost at Louisville, 6-5. The Indians had runners on first and third with one out in the ninth inning, but Ji-Hwan Bae and Gilberto Celestino struck out to end the game.

Canaan Smith-Njigba hit a solo home run to give the Indians a 5-4 lead in the top of the seventh, but Edwin Rios hit a go-ahead two-run home run for Louisville off of Ben Heller in the bottom of the seventh. Indianapolis starter J.C. Flowers allowed four runs on four hits while walking four in two innings.

ALTOONA (7-24) lost to Somerset, 7-3, in seven innings. The teams were scheduled to play a double header as a result of Friday's rainout, but Game 2 was postponed because of rain. The teams will try to play another double header of seven-inning games at noon Sunday.

On Saturday, Bubba Chandler allowed four runs on four hits while walking three and striking out six in 3 2/3 innings. Joe Perez tripled and scored in the first inning. Carter Bins hit a solo home run to give Altoona a 3-0 lead in the third:

Bins blasts are back! We take a 3-0 lead in the third!

LISTEN: https://t.co/aioWvW3Svf
WATCH: https://t.co/6GP894jPtF pic.twitter.com/Ih8i1Fyqbw
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) May 11, 2024

GREENSBORO (17-14) beat Bowling Green in 11 innings, 6-4 . Lonnie White Jr. hit a solo homer to lead off the ninth inning to tie the game. In the 11th, Hudson Head hit a one-out single to score starting runner Termarr Johnson, and Geovann Planchart had an RBI groundout to score White.

The Grasshoppers struck out 16 times and walked 12 times as a team and were held to five hits. Greensboro starter Hunter Barco allowed a hit and struck out three in five scoreless innings.

BRADENTON (14-18) beat St. Lucie, 4-3 , for its ninth win in a row. Among the oddities that happened within the Pirates organization Saturday was a turtle who skittered onto the field in the second inning. Marauders closer Magdiel Cotto made the save of the turtle ...

"Is that a squirrel? Or a rodent? ... It's a turtle!"

A curious creature makes a mad dash across the outfield grass during @stluciemets/@The_Marauders action pic.twitter.com/rlH3UJCaje
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) May 11, 2024

... and the game by pitching scoreless eighth and ninth innings. Omar Alfonzo and Kalae Harrison drove in runs in the fourth. Keiner Delgado scored in that inning on a wild pitch.

Cotto and Yoldin De La Paz combined for 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

This article first appeared on DK Pittsburgh Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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