Cabrera and Pino Homer, But Ninth-Inning Surge Falls Short

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla—Ricardo Cabrera and Yassel Pino each blasted home runs as the Daytona Tortugas scored in the first four innings, but the Jupiter Hammerheads pulled ahead late and held off a late charge as Jupiter took the series opener 7-5 on Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

Jupiter (3-1, 39-31) pounded out 11 hits in their third straight win, while Daytona (1-2, 32-37) fell to 1-6 this season against the Hammerheads.

The Tortugas got on the board right away in the first inning. With two outs, Connor Burns doubled against Jupiter starter Julio Mendez. A ground ball to second followed, but was bobbled, and Burns hustled home on the error with the game’s first run.

Jupiter immediately responded against Daytona starter Jose Montero in the second. With one out, Kemp Alderman rolled a double to right, then came around to score when John Cruz lined an RBI single to left.

Daytona, though, answered to re-gain the lead. Esmith Pineda reached on an error to begin the inning, then motored all the way home with one out on a Jack Moss double to left-center. The Tortugas were back in front 2-1.

One inning later, the lead grew as Cabrera teed off Mendez’s first offering of the third and deposited it off the scoreboard in left-center for his ninth home run of the year, extending the lead to 3-1.

Jupiter, though, pulled ahead in the fourth. Junior Sanchez led off with a double, only for Montero to retire the next two hitters. Alderman, though, yanked an RBI double down the third-base line to score Sanchez. Cruz followed with a single to center that tied the game, then went to second on an error. He then stole third and came home when the throw was errant, putting Jupiter in front 4-3.

Once more, though, Daytona had a response. Pino stepped in to begin the bottom of the fourth and crushed a no-doubt moonshot over the hand-operated scoreboard in left-center, tying the game at four each on his second homer of the season.

The scoring abated briefly as Montero erased a leadoff single in the fifth with a double play, helping secure a scoreless inning and with it, his fourth outing of the season with 5.0 innings worked before he handed things off to Nick Sando, who threw a scoreless sixth.

On the other side, Mendez also threw a scoreless fifth, then gave the ball up to Collin Lowe, who also put up a zero in the sixth frame.

In the seventh, Cruz led off with a bloop double down the right-field line, only for Sando (2-2) to strike out the next two batters. He was one strike from finishing the inning, only for Spencer Bramwell to roll a base hit into right field, scoring Cruz to put Jupiter up 5-4.

The Hammerheads added on in the eighth as the first four batters reached. Two leadoff walks were followed by an RBI double from Brock Vradenburg and an RBI single from Alderman. Sando was able to escape the inning with no more damage, thanks in part to Ariel Almonte throwing out Vradenburg trying to score on a flyball to end the inning.

Lowe (6-2) threw 3.0 scoreless innings before handing off a 7-4 lead to Juan Reynoso in the ninth. Pino led off the inning with a first-pitch single, then Moss drew a 12-pitch walk and Yerlin Confidan drew a pinch-hit walk to load the bases. Sammy Stafura then battled to draw a third walk, forcing in a run and chasing Reynoso.

Holt Jones entered with the bases loaded and still no outs, but struck out Cabrera on an 11-pitch battle before inducing a foul out. Almonte then stepped in and grounded out to first, ending Daytona’s comeback effort with a 7-5 defeat.

Daytona will play game two against the Jupiter Hammerheads on Wednesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. It will be a Belly Buster Wednesday with all-you-care-to-eat hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, and Little Ceasars Pizza. 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.