Early Offense, Late Homer Lifts Tortugas to 9-8 Win

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla—Ricardo Cabera and Carter Graham blasted home runs to pace a 14-hit attack as the Daytona Tortugas held off the hard-charging Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels to earn their straight win, 9-8 on Saturday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

Daytona (22-22) swatted a season-high seven extra-base hits to help fend off a Ft. Myers (18-26) attack that erased two early Daytona leads and nearly erased a third at the end of the contest.

Daytona took the lead early on as two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first against F.t Myers started Ross Dunn. The southpaw then induced a double play, but the twin killing brought home Johnny Ascanio with the game’s first run.

Ft. Myers, though answered back against Daytona starter Brian Edgington. The right-hander retired the first five men he faced, but then allowed a two-out single in the second. That was followed by a 409-foot drive by Gregory Duran over the center-field fence to put the Mighty Mussels ahead 2-1.

Daytona once again had an answer, immediately responding as Malvin Valdez drew a leadoff walk and scored on an RBI double from Graham. After a single moved him to third, Trey Faltine drove in Graham to put Daytona in front 3-2.

Ft. Myers, though, again flexed their muscles in the third. With two outs, Kyle Hess crushed a no-doubt two-run home run to right to put Ft. Myers back in front. After an error extended the inning, Maddux Houghton blasted a two-run homer of his own to left and the Mighty Mussels now had a 6-3 lead.

Dunn departed for Jack Noble in the third, and Daytona rallied against the new reliever. Ariel Almonte blooped the first of two doubles on the night and scored on a Connor Burns double to trim the deficit to two runs.

An inning later, the Tortugas pulled in front for good. After a leadoff single, Ascanio ripped a double off the right-field wall. Cabrera stepped in and demolished a 2-1 delivery from Noble (1-1) over the batting cages beyond the left-field wall for a three-run home run, moving Daytona back in front, 7-6.

Left-hander Jonah Hurney, who entered the game in the fourth for Daytona, stabilized things on the mound for the Tortugas, as the southpaw stymied Ft. Myers. He allowed a one-out walk in the fifth, but nothing else over 4.0 hitless innings of relief, striking out five and issuing the one walk as Hurney (2-0) kept Daytona in front and put himself in line for a win.

Meanwhile, Ft. Myers lefty Samuel Perez threw scoreless fifth and sixth frames, but Daytona got to him in the bottom of the seventh. Valdez reached on a dropped third strike, bringing up Graham who swatted a very high drive to left that just snuck over the left-field fence for a two-run homer, extending the Daytona lead to 9-6. Graham's homer gave him three RBI for a second-straight night and a career-high three hits.

Gabe Starks then entered in the eighth and immediately found himself in trouble as a walk and double put two men in scoring position with no outs. The right-hander rose to the challenge, striking out the next two, before uncorking a wild pitch to bring home a run. He then followed with a third punchout to end the inning.

In the ninth, Starks again walked the tightrope, as he was greeted by two straight hits. However, on the second hit, Valdez threw out pinch-runner Carlos Aguiar attempting to go first to third, producing a critical first out. Payton Eeles followed with an RBI double to draw Ft. Myers within a run.

After a ground ball moved Eeles to third, a four-pitch walk put the go-ahead run at first base. On a 1-2 pitch to Hess, a ball in the dirt appeared to allow Eeles to score, but a late timeout nullified the play and on the very next pitch, Hess lined to first to end the ballgame as Daytona held on for a 9-8 win.

The Tortugas will finish the series against the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels on Sunday evening. Daytona will start RHP Ben Brutti (0-2, 4.03) against Ft. Myers RHP Charlee Soto (0-2, 6.97). Tomorrow will be Shelldon’s Family Fun Day Sunday with special ticket packages available and Kids Run the Bases postgame. First pitch from Jackie Robinson Ballpark is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. with pregame coverage on the Tortugas Radio Network and MiLB.tv/Bally Live with Brennan Mense beginning at 6:20 p.m.