Daytona ends skid emphatically with second-best output of the season
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla—Daytona blasted three home runs and scored all 13 of their runs in the first five innings as the Daytona Tortugas throttled the Jupiter Hammerheads 13-1 on Saturday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Daytona (23-27) snapped a five-game losing streak in emphatic fashion by scoring double digit runs for the second time this season, all while holding Jupiter (28-22) to just five hits.
The scoring began right away as Sammy Stafura led off the bottom of the first inning by blasting a 3-2 pitch from Jupiter’s Brandon White 393 feet over the left-field fence for a leadoff home run. Daytona wasn’t done, though, loading the bases with two outs for Carter Graham, who dunked a two-run single to center to put Daytona in front 3-0.
The Tortugas kept at it in the second as Stafura reached on an error, Ricardo Cabrera walked, and Ariel Almonte ripped a two-run double into the right-field corner, driving in two runs and in the process becoming just the second player in the Florida State League to reach 30 RBI on the season. The lead was now 5-0.
The third saw another two runs against Jupiter’s Juan Reynoso as two walks and a Graham single loaded the bases for Johnny Ascanio, who lifted a sacrifice fly to left. Stafura was plunked to re-load the bases for Cabrera, who also lofted a sacrifice fly, scoring Graham to extend the lead to 7-0.
Daytona starter Adam Serwinowski labored through the first three innings, walking four batters, but also striking out four batters and not allowing a hit as he kept Jupiter off the board. In the fourth, the left-hander allowed a solo home run to Angelo DiSpigna to put Jupiter, but allowed nothing else in the inning as he worked 4.0 innings of one-hit, one-run ball.
The Tortugas gifted Serwinowski with more runs in the bottom of the fourth as Malvin Valdez drew the third of his four walks on the night with two outs, stole second, then after a walk by Graham scored on a Trey Faltine RBI single. Ascanio then rolled a base hit to left to score Graham and Ascanio, putting Daytona in front 10-1 with his second and third RBIs of the night.
Nestor Lorant entered for Daytona in the top of the fifth and allowed a leadoff single, as well as a one-out walk. However, Lorant picked up a strikeout and Connor Burns tip-toed around the third-base dugout to secure a foulout to end the inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Tortugas teed off Euri Montero. Cabrera led off the inning by blasting a solo home run over the left-center field fence, his fifth of the season. Two batters later, Esmith Pineda collected his second hit of the night and Burns followed by unloading a two-run home run 424 feet to left-center, his third of the season, which pushed the lead to 13-1.
At that point, the offense stalled out, but Lorant was locked in. He dodged a one-out triple in the sixth by striking out three batters in the inning, then navigated around a pair of hits in the second as Valdez cut down a runner at second to end the inning.
Lorant (4-1) ended his 4.0-inning outing with a scoreless eighth, allowing no runs, striking out six and working around four hits and a walk to earn the victory. Simon Miller followed with a 1-2-3 ninth to nail down the victory.
The Tortugas will finish the series against Jupiter tomorrow evening. Starters for both teams are still to be determined. Sunday will be another Shelldon’s Family Fun Day Sunday with postgame Kids Run the Bases. First pitch from Jackie Robinson Ballpark is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. with pregame coverage on the Tortugas Radio Network and MiLB.tv/Bally Live with Brennan Mense beginning at 4:45 p.m.
