Almonte Blasts Longest FSL Homer of Season in 5-4 Defeat

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla—Ariel Almonte added to his league home run league with an impressive 14^th home run of the season, but the Jupiter Hammerheads broke a tie in the seventh and defeated the Daytona Tortugas 5-4 on Wednesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

Jupiter (4-1, 40-31) has now won the first two games of the series as Daytona (1-3, 32-38) suffered their league-high 13^th one-run defeat of the season.

After the game started 20 minutes late due to rain pregame, Jupiter took the lead right away against Daytona starter Brian Edgington. Jordan McCants led off the game a triple off the left-field wall, then came home on a single by JT Mabry to put the Hammerheads up 1-0.

Daytona put a runner at third with one out thanks a Ricardo Cabrera single and an error, but a fielder’s choice resulted in an out at the plate ended that threat.

In the third, the Hammerheads added to the lead. With one out, Mabry lined a triple to right-center, then scored when Ryan Ignoffo hit a high fly ball to left that caught a stiff breeze and cleared the fence for a two-run home run to put Jupiter up 3-0.

Daytona failed to convert a leadoff double in the third into a run, but in the fourth, they put their first run on the board. Leading off the inning, Almonte blasted a 1-1 pitch from Brandon White that landed 460 feet away over the right-center field fence. The longest recorded home run in the Florida State League this season trimmed the deficit to 3-1.

What the swing behind a 460-foot drive looks like
🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/rhl5NBq38A

— Daytona Tortugas (@daytonatortugas) June 27, 2024

The Hammerheads, though, answered against Anyer Laureano in the fifth. Ignoffo doubled with one out, which was followed by a walk. Ignoffo then stole third, only for the throw to sail into left field, scoring Ignoffo to make it 4-1.

Daytona responded in the bottom of the fifth with a big rally. Yerlin Confidan led off with a single and Cabrera was plunked by a pitch. Sammy Stafura then ripped a double to deep right-center, scoring Confidan. Almonte then rolled a ground ball to short to score Cabrera, chasing White in a one-run game.

Delvis Alegre came on and induced a groundout to third, but Stafura aggressively moved up to third on the throw to first, which proved to be critical when Connor Burns reached on an infield hit to second, scoring Stafura to tie the game at 4-4.

Laureano walked two batters in the sixth, but Jupiter attempted a double steal and Burns threw out trailing runner Jordan McCants to end the inning.

In the seventh, Dylan Simmons came on and promptly was greeted by an infield hit from Mabry. A dribble to the mound moved the runner to second, and Mabry went to third on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, a two-out single by John Cruz scored Mabry to put the Hammerheads up 5-4.

After that point, Daytona did not record another baserunner. While Simmons (5-3) recorded scoreless eighth and ninth innings, Alegre (1-3) struck out all three he faced in the seventh, then gave way to Justin Storm, who retired all six batters he faced over the final two innings to secure a 5-4 win for Jupiter.

Daytona will play game three against the Jupiter Hammerheads on Thursday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. It will be Taps and Tacos tomorrow night with half-priced draft beer and sodas, plus taco specials including the Mexi-Cali Shrimp Taco. First pitch will be at 6:35 p.m. with pregame coverage on the Tortugas Radio Network with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, beginning at 6:20 p.m.