Daytona pounds out 11 hits in third shutout victory of the season
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla—Bernard Moon, Ryan McCrystal, and Carlos Sanchez all crushed home runs as for Daytona Tortugas pitchers held the St. Lucie Mets off the board in a 10-0 rout of St. Lucie on Saturday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Daytona (27-35) stroked 11 hits, while Tortugas pitchers scattered nine hits and did not walk a St. Lucie (33-28) batter in the entire game in the squad’s third shutout victory of 2025.
After a scoreless first, Daytona jumped on top in the bottom of the first, when with one out, Moon jumped on a 1-1 fastball from St. Lucie starter Edgar Moreta and crushed it 387 feet to left for his second homer of the year, putting the Tortugas ahead 1-0.
In the second, an unexpected departure on the mound led to Nick Sando entering with two on and no outs in the second inning, but the lefty retired all three to keep the lead. He ran into trouble with two outs in the third, as two soft singles and a hit batter loaded the bases, but a strikeout ended the threat.
The Tortugas began extending the lead in the bottom of the third. Luis Leones stroked the first of his three hits, a leadoff triple, then scored on a McCrystal RBI double. Moon followed with an RBI single up the middle, moving to second on an errant throw home. With two outs, a dropped pop-up scored Moon to make it 4-0, Daytona.
An inning later, a big hit grew the lead further. Iverson Espinoza walked, Leones singled through the left side, then McCrystal stepped up and crushed a fly ball 415 feet over the center field fence for a three-run homer, his fourth of the year. The Tortugas now led 7-0.
Sando (3-1) stayed sharp, throwing a 1-2-3 fourth, then brushing aside a leadoff single in the fifth. The southpaw worked 4.0 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, with three hits allowed, no walks, and five strikeouts, leaving firmly in line for the win.
Beau Blanchard came on for the sixth and picked up where Sando left off, allowing a single in both the sixth and seventh frames but brushing aside each hit to put a zero on the board.
In the bottom of the seventh, Daytona put the bow on the win. Leones laid down a bunt single, his third of the night, with one down, then Moon walked with two outs in front of Sanchez, who lifted a fly ball that carrier over the left-field fence for his third homer of the season and Daytona’s third of the night, a three-run blast to make it 10-0.
Blanchard returned for the eighth and erased a one-out single with a double play to polish off a career-best 3.0 scoreless innings. Victor Diaz followed by finishing off the win with a 1-2-3 ninth, capping off a 10-0 rout.
Daytona will finish the six-game series at Jackie Robinson Ballpark against the St. Lucie Mets on Sunday evening. Tomorrow will be Fun Day Sunday with Postgame Kids Run the Bases. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. with first pitch at 5:00 p.m. Pregame coverage on Tuesday with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, will begin on the Tortugas Radio Network at 4:50 p.m.
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.
