Eighth-Inning Blast Breaks Tie as Tortugas Fall in Series Finale

DAYTONA BEACH—The Bradenton Marauders pulled ahead on an eighth-inning home run and the Daytona Tortugas dropped the final game of the series 4-2 on Sunday evening at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

Bradenton (10-5, 45-35) ends the season series by going 10-2 against Daytona (8-7, 36-43), as the Marauders won five of six at The Jack.

After both pitchers spun 1-2-3 first innings, Bradenton struck first in the second. Ryan Cardona plunked leadoff man Josiah Sightler to begin the inning. After a strikeout, back-to-back soft singles brought Sightler around as Deivis Nadal’s hit put the Marauders in front 1-0.

In the third, Bradenton took advantage of a bout of wildness from Cardona to extend the lead. Two walks opened the frame before a soft groundout advanced both runners. Sightler followed with a flyout to right. Ariel Almonte made the play and fired an excellent throw home, but Enmanuel Terrero barely slid in ahead of the tag, as the sacrifice fly made it 2-0 Marauders.

Foll three fruitless innings against Alessandro Ercolani, Daytona clawed back in the fourth. With one out, a single and two walks loaded the bases. Victor Acosta followed with a bloop hit to right that scored a run. After a strikeout, Ercolani was one strike from ending the inning, but uncorked a wild pitch that brought home Cade Hunter to tie the game at two apiece.

Cardona came back for the fifth and allowed a one-out single, but he and Cade Hunter executed a strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play to end the inning. Cardona worked 5.0 innings for the second straight start, allowing two runs on three hits, two walks, and six strikeouts.

Rob Hensey entered in the sixth and was on his game from the start. He set down the Marauders in order in both the sixth and seventh frames. Meanwhile, the Tortugas also did nothing in those two frames.

Hensey retired the first two batters in the eighth before a two-out single by Termarr Johnson broke up his string at eight straight retired. Rodolfo Nolasco followed by blasting a two-run home run 416 feet over the center field fence to pull the Marauders back in front, 4-2.

Daytona threatened against Wil Crowe in the eighth as a walk and error put two on with one out. Crowe buckled down, though, inducing a fielder’s choice and strikeout to end the inning.

In the ninth, Daytona went down in order against Joshua Loeschorn, with the game ending by Yerlin Confidan being robbed of a home run on a leaping catch at the left field wall by Nolasco, a fitting end to a 4-2 defeat for the Tortugas.

The Tortugas will have the next four days off before returning to The Jack to face the Palm Beach Cardinals in the opener of a three-game series on Friday, July 14. We will celebrate National Motorcylce Day with a Shelldon Motorcycle T-shirt giveaway for the first 500 fans. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. with pregame coverage on the Tortugas Radio Network with the Voice of the Tortugas Brennan Mense begins at 6:20 from Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

Daytona Tortugas single-game tickets and ticket packages are on sale now at daytonatortugas.com, (386) 257-3172, or the box office at 110 East Orange Ave.

ABOUT THE DAYTONA TORTUGAS

The Daytona Tortugas are the Single-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and a member of Minor League Baseball’s Florida State League. The Tortugas play at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in downtown Daytona Beach, Fla. 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.