Shortstop’s career night keys win in opener while Dunedin drubs Daytona in nightcap
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla—Sammy Stafura had three hits, a home run, and six RBI in the first game of a doubleheader as the Daytona Tortugas took the opener 7-5 before the Dunedin Blue Jays roared back to earn a split with a 12-1 victory in the nightcap on Wednesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Daytona (16-13, 47-49) evened the series behind the first six-RBI game by a Tortuga in over a year, only for Dunedin (16-15, 50-47) to turn around and deal Daytona’s worst defeat of the season.
In game one, the Tortugas got off to a very quick start. In the first, Yerlin Confidan and Carlos Sanchez led off the inning with singles, bringing up Stafura, who ripped a 386-foot home run to left, putting Daytona ahead 3-0 on the early three-run blast.
An inning later, a Trey Faltine single and a walk to Confidan put two on for Stafura, who came through with his second hit, legging out an infield single to short that scored Faltine to put Daytona up 4-0.
Daytona starter Nestor Lorant started off his night by retiring the first six batters, but the next two innings were more difficult. Yeuni Munoz led off the inning with a sky-high home run that just cleared the left-field fence for the Dunedin’s first hit and run.
Lorant worked around a two-out hit in the third, then navigated a leadoff double and a walk in a scoreless fourth, spinning 4.0 innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts.
In the fourth, Daytona added to the league as Stafura struck once again. Faltine walked with one out, then Sanchez reached on an error with two down, setting the stage for the shortstop, who rolled a single to right, driving in his fifth and sixth runs of the game to put Daytona in front 6-1.
Anyer Laureano entered for Daytona and threw a 1-2-3 fifth, but in the sixth, Dunedin made a push. The Blue Jays began the inning with three straight walks to load the bases, before Yhoander Aponte lifted a sacrifice fly to center. Manuel Beltre then rolled an infield single to bring in a second run to close the gap to three runs. With two outs, Laureano departed for Logan Campbell, who picked up a strikeout with two on to end the inning.
Faltine came up in the bottom of the sixth and with one out connected on a 3-1 fastball that he crushed 420 feet to deep left center, extending the lead to 7-3 on his third home run of the season.
In the seventh, the Blue Jays threatened again. After a one-out single, Arjun Nimmula crushed a two-run home run to slice the lead in half. Two walks followed to put the tying run on base, but Campbell retired the next two batters to close out a 7-5 win in game one.
In the second game, the Tortugas started off fast again as Eddy Isturiz walked, stole second, went to third on a flyout, and scored on a wild pitch to give the Tortugas a quick 1-0 lead.
However, it was all Blue Jays from there. The Jays tied the game in the bottom of the first on an RBI single from Edward Duran against Daytona starter Adrian Herrera.
Herrera bounced back with two strikeouts in a scoreless second, but in the third, Dunedin strung together three straight doubles to score a run, then jolted forward on a three-run home run from Jean Joseph to go in front 5-1.
From there, Dunedin only added to the lead. Bryce Arnold led off the fourth with a solo homer, before the Jays scored six runs in the fifth, aided by five walks, a two-run double by Carter Cunningham, and a two-run triple from Duran. When the dust settled, the Jays had a 12-1 lead.
The Tortugas drew seven walks against Blue Jays pitching, but only recorded three hits in the nightcap. Isturiz did shine, drawing three walks, stealing two bases, and pitching a scoreless sixth inning in which the outfielder reached 90 MPH on the radar gun.
Daytona picked up singles by Faltine and Stafura, their third and fourth hits of the twinbill, in the seventh, but Dunedin cruised to a 12-1 win in game two.
Daytona will have play game four against Dunedin on Thursday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Tomorrow will be Taps and Tacos Thursday featuring half-priced draft beers and sodas, as well as taco specials. Gates will open at 5:30 with first pitch at 6:35 p.m. Pregame coverage on the Tortugas Radio Network and MiLB.tv/Bally Live with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense begins at 6:20 p.m.
