Blue Jays earn doubleheader spit with game two route

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – After a 7-5 defeat to Daytona in game one, Dunedin came back in a big way in game two, taking a 12-1 win to split a doubleheader on Wednesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

The twin bill was scheduled to make up a June 23 rainout at TD Ballpark.

The Tortugas opened game one with a bang, lacing five consecutive hits to open the bottom of the first – including a three-run homer from Sammy Stafura – to open a 3-0 lead.

The damage against D-Jays starter Jorge Bautista continued in the second inning, as Stafura knocked an RBI single to make it 4-0.

Dunedin got on the board in the third inning with Yeuni Munoz’s solo homer – his second of the season. Daytona got that tally back in the bottom of the fourth, scoring on two more Stafura RBIs, which made it 6-1 Tortugas.

The Blue Jays made a comeback push in the late stages, first tallying two runs in the top of the sixth on a Yhoangel Aponte sacrifice fly and Manuel Beltre RBI single, trimming the deficit to 6-3.

After Trey Faltine homered in the home sixth to push the lead to 7-3, Dunedin got two more runs on one swing in the seventh: an Arjun Nimmala two-run homer, his third in his last five games. The comeback effort fell short there, as Dunedin left runners on first and second base to end the contest.

Game two featured an oddity, as the Blue Jays played as the home team in a road ballpark because the contest was originally slated to be in Dunedin.

Both teams scored in the first – Daytona on a wild pitch and Dunedin on an Edward Duran RBI single.

From there, it was all Blue Jays.

In the third inning, Dunedin tallied four runs on five hits. Duran roped a double for his second RBI of the night, and then Jean Joseph rocketed a three-run home run to left to put the Jays ahead 5-1.

Bryce Arnold launched Dunedin’s fourth homer of the evening in the fourth – a solo shot that made it 6-1.

In the fifth, the Blue Jays blew the game open, scoring six times on just two hits, racking up five walks and a hit by pitch in the frame. Carter Cunningham ripped a two-RBI double – the second hit of his pro debut. Duran followed with a two-RBI single, bringing his total to four in the nightcap.

Ironically, the Blue Jays did not score against Daytona outfielder Eddy Izturiz, who pitched a scoreless sixth for the Tortugas.

The series continues Thursday with a regularly scheduled, 6:35 first pitch in Daytona. Fans can tune into the hometown broadcast for free online at https://www.milb.com/dunedin/fans/radio.