Daytona held to just three hits as Lakeland evens series
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla—Wednesday’s contest was a pitcher’s duel much of the way, but the Lakeland Flying Tigers pulled away in the eighth to defeat the Daytona Tortugas 5-1 on Wednesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Lakeland (11-12) led the entire way after taking the lead in the second as Daytona (11-12) was held hitless over the final five innings and were held to just three hits.
After a scoreless first, Lakeland took the lead in the top of the second. Two walks opened the inning and a single followed to load the bases with no outs. Enderson followed with a sacrifice fly to right to bring in one run, then Patrick Lee bounced to short to bring in a second, giving Lakeland a 2-0 lead.
Daytona did little in the first three innings against Lakeland starter Lucas Elissalt, recording just one hit.
In the fourth, though, Carlos Sanchez extended his on-base streak to 20 games by lifting a fly ball off the left-field wall for a leadoff triple. One pitch later, Alfredo Duno rolled a ground ball up the middle to score Sanchez, trimming the deficit to 2-1.
The score held there for the next several innings, thanks in large part to Daytona reliever JP Ortiz, who worked around a two-on, one-out jam, then threw a 1-2-3 sixth and brushed off a two-out hit in the seventh.
Daytona, however, could not come up with the equalizer, as the Tortugas only managed one baserunner over the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings.
A two-out rally in the eighth pushed Lakeland further ahead. After a two-out single and walk, Jackson Strong swatted a three-run home run to right, extending the Lakeland advantage to four runs.
The Tortugas could not respond, and the Flying Tigers cruised to the finish line, evening the series with a 5-1 victory.
Daytona will finish the three-game series with the Lakeland Flying Tigers at Jackie Robinson Ballpark Thursday night. Tomorrow will be Taps and Tacos with taco specials and discounted drinks, plus it will be College Night, with discounted tickets for Embry-Riddle students and staff. Games open at 5:30 with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Pregame coverage with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, will begin on the Tortugas Radio Network at 6:20.
Tickets for every Tortugas home game are available on our website, by calling 386-257-3172, or by visiting the Jackie Robinson Ballpark box office at 110 E. Orange Avenue.
ABOUT THE DAYTONA TORTUGAS
The Daytona Tortugas are in their tenth season as the Single-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and a member of Minor League Baseball’s Florida State League. The Tortugas play at historic Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Florida that was recently designated a National Commemorative Site. Jackie Robinson Ballpark also plays host to Bethune-Cookman University, the Jackie Robinson Ballpark Museum, and many community events and initiatives of all sizes throughout the year.
