Daytona held to four hits as Jupiter takes series opener
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla—The Daytona Tortugas sputtered offensively on Memorial Day as they fell 5-1 to the Jupiter Hammerheads in the series opener at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Playing on Memorial Day for the first time since 2008, Daytona (22-24) was held to just four hits as Jupiter (25-21) scored four runs late to pull away.
Jupiter took the lead in the first inning as Daytona starter Ben Brutti labored out of the gate. Jordan McCants drew a leadoff walk that was followed by a bloop double to put two men in scoring position. After a strikeout, a second walk loaded the bases for Colby Shade, who also drew a free pass to force in McCants for the game’s first run. However, Brutti struck out the next two men to limit the damage.
In the second, Daytona took advantage of some poor defense against Jupiter starter Julio Mendez. Connor Burns led off with a single before a throwing error put runners at the corners with no outs. Mendez then attempted to pick off Sammy Stafura at first, but the throw sailed into the right-field bullpen, scoring Burns and putting Stafura. Mendez retired the next three without allowing Stafura to score, but it was now a 1-1 game.
Brutti settled down nicely after his first-inning hiccups, setting down nine of ten batters he faced over the second, third, and fourth frames.
On the other side, Daytona threatened again with a single and a walk to begin the third, but Mendez retired the next three to keep the game deadlocked.
The game turned over to the bullpens in the fifth as Juan Martinez spun a scoreless fifth for Daytona and Collin Lowe did the same for Jupiter.
However, the Hammerheads pulled ahead in the sixth as Luke Ignoffo yanked Martinez’s first pitch of the inning over the left field fence for a leadoff home run to take the lead. A leadoff double from Tony Bullard in the seventh would lead to a sacrifice fly from McCants two batters later to put Jupiter ahead 3-1.
Lowe, meanwhile, kept Daytona in check. A leadoff single by Johnny Ascanio in the fifth was erased on an interference call, while Trey Faltine made it to third on a fly ball with two outs in the sixth that was lost in the twilight sky, but Daytona could not draw any closer.
Cody Adcock entered in the eighth for Daytona and quickly retired the first two batters. However, after back-to-back singles, Bullard launched a two-run double to center to clear the bases.
With a 5-1 lead, Juan Reynoso navigated around a pair of walks in a scoreless eighth and Justin Storm brushed aside a two-out walk in the ninth as Daytona fell, 5-1.
The Tortugas will have tomorrow off before resuming the series with Jupiter Wednesday night. Daytona will start RHP Nick Payero (0-0, 0.00) against Jupiter RHP Tristan Stevens (3-3, 3.82). Wednesday will be a Belly Buster Wednesday with all-you-care-to-eat hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, and Little Caesars pizza. First pitch from Jackie Robinson Ballpark is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. with pregame coverage on the Tortugas Radio Network and MiLB.tv/Bally Live with Brennan Mense beginning at 6:20 p.m.
