BRADENTON, Fla. (Interstat) — The Tampa Tarpons will look to extend their recent dominance over the Bradenton Marauders when the teams meet Saturday at LECOM Park. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. under clouds and 85-degree heat.

Tampa (32-28) has won three of the first four games in this six-game series, outscoring Bradenton 23-7 over that span. On Thursday, the Tarpons rolled to a 7-1 victory in a game shortened to seven innings by rain. Right-hander J.T. Etheridge dominated, allowing three hits and no earned runs over five innings while striking out six.

Etheridge, one of several pitchers to watch for Tampa, has been on a tear. In his past four outings, all wins, he has surrendered just five earned runs in 16⅔ innings (2.70 ERA) with 20 strikeouts.

The Tarpons will give the ball to right-hander Tyler Boudreau (1-2) on Saturday. Boudreau will look to rebound after a rough start to the season. He will be backed by a lineup that produced eight runs in a shutout win Friday and seven runs Thursday. Shortstop Jackson Lovich drove in four runs Thursday.

Bradenton (28-31) will counter with right-hander Levi Sterling, who took the loss Thursday despite a solid outing: six innings, six hits, three earned runs and seven strikeouts. Sterling has been tough at times this season, tossing five shutout innings against Lakeland on May 24, but he has been inconsistent. In his last three starts, all losses, he has a 3.18 ERA with 20 strikeouts over 17 innings.

The Marauders need to generate more offense after being held to one run in two of the past three games. Left fielder Eddie King Jr. went 2-for-3 with an RBI on Thursday, and the club hopes to build on that.

Tampa’s offense has been clicking, averaging 6.2 runs over its past six games. The Tarpons swept a five-game home set against Palm Beach last week before taking this series on the road.

Bradenton, meanwhile, has lost four of its last five overall.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 7-3 Tampa victory.

After Saturday, the teams conclude the series Sunday, then Tampa returns home to face Fort Myers, while Bradenton hosts Clearwater.