Pair of home runs aren’t enough to dig out of early four-run hole
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla—Yassel Pino and Esmith Pineda crushed home runs, but the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels scored four runs in the top of the second and the Daytona Tortugas couldn’t recover in a 7-4 defeat on Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Ft. Myers (17-23) pounded out 11 hits, including six doubles to slug their way past Daytona (19-21) whose season-worst slide reached five games.
Both starters fired 1-2-3 first, but Ft. Myers got to Daytona starter Adam Serwinowski in a big way in the second. A leadoff double began the inning, then came around on a Maddux Houghton RBI single. Kyle Hess then ripped an Rbi double into the right-field corner. After a hit batter, Payton Eeles lined a two-run double to center, putting the finishing touches on a four-run, four-hit second for Ft. Myers, who took a 4-0 lead.
After two scoreless innings, the Tortugas got to Ft. Myers started Spencer Bengard in the third. Carter Graham led off with a double, moved to third on the first of three hits on the night by Johnny Ascanio, then came across on a sacrifice fly by Yerlin Confidan. A hustle double by Ricardo Cabrera put two in scoring position with two outs, but a soft lineout ended the inning with the deficit trimmed to 4-1.
Serwinowski bounced back with scoreless third and fourth frames to work into the fifth inning for the second time this season. However, the Mighty Mussels went back to work offensively, as two singles and a stolen base put Byron Chourio in position to come home on a wild pitch that made it 5-1, Ft. Myers. Serwinowski, (1-1) for his part, did match his season highs of 5.0 innings pitched and six strikeouts.
Nestor Lorant then entered in the sixth and worked a scoreless frame. However, he ran into trouble in the seventh as Chourio reached on a bloop double, then came home two batters later on a single by Poncho Ruiz to stretch the lead to 6-1.
Bengard (2-0) departed after 6.0 innings on one-run ball for Jack Noble in the seventh and Daytona pounced on the new pitcher. After a leadoff walk, Noble retired the next two men. However, Pino stepped up and crushed a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall for his first home run of the season, a two-run shot that cut the margin to 6-3.
The Mighty Mussels responded right back, though, as doubles by Hess and Matt Clayton plated another run to restore the four-run margin.
Noble worked a scoreless eighth, then returned for the ninth. With one out, Pineda stepped in and crushed a 377-foot drive to right for his second round-tripper of the season. However, Noble retired the next two men as Ft. Myers finished out a 7-4 win.
The Tortugas will have play game two against the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels on Wednesday night. Daytona will start RHP Juan Martinez (1-2, 2.08) against Ft. Myers RHP Ty Langenburg (0-3, 4.02). Tomorrow will be Belly Buster Wednesday, with all-you-care-to-eat hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, and Little Caesars pizza starting at just $17. First pitch from Jackie Robinson Ballpark is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. with pregame coverage on the Tortugas Radio network with Brennan Mense begins at 6:20 p.m.
