First-Inning Rally Too Much for ‘Tugas as Ft. Myers Claims 2-1 Duel

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla—Three Daytona Tortugas pitchers finished the night with eight scoreless innings, but the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels used four stolen bases to scrap out two first-inning runs and made them stand up as they clipped Daytona 2-1 on Wednesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

Ft. Myers (18-23) struck out 14 Daytona (19-22) batters as the Tortugas did not have a baserunner over the final four innings of their sixth consecutive loss.

In the top of the first, Ft. Myers struck right away against Daytona starter Juan Martinez in the top of the first. Payton Eeles led off with a single, stole second, then moved to third on a flyout. After a walk, Eeles crossed the plate on the front end of a double steal. Two batters later, Kyle Hess sliced an RBI double to left to put Ft. Myers in front 2-0.

Daytona couldn’t cash in a one-out double in the first, but did mount a rally in the second. With one out, Malvin Valdez lined a single to center, then stole second. With two outs, Yassel Pino stroked a base hit to score Valdez to make it 2-1.

At that point, the offense dried up on both sides. Martinez (1-3) allowed just three hits after the first inning, all of them isolated singles. The right-hander worked 5.0 innings for the fourth straight start, allowing the two runs on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts, though he left on the wrong end of a one-run deficit.

Lagenburg, meanwhile, only encountered one more threat from the Daytona offense, which came in the fourth as Connor Burns walked with one down and moved to second on a two-out hit from Carter Graham. However, a fielder’s choice ended the inning and Langenburg (1-3) allowed just one additional baserunner, a two-out hit in the fifth, as he struck out nine over 6.0 innings of one-hit ball.

Anyer Laureano was sharp in relief for Daytona, erasing a leadoff single in the sixth with a double play and throwing 2.0 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Cody Adcock followed him and allowed a leadoff double in the eighth and one-out two-bagger in the ninth, but allowed neither one to score.

Daytona, though, could not muster anything offensively against reliever Xander Hamilton, who entered in the seventh and set down all nine batters he faced. He was at his best in the ninth, striking out the side to end the game as the Tortugas fell 2-1.

The Tortugas will play game three against the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels on Thursday night. Daytona will start RHP Jose Franco (1-0, 3.71) against Ft. Myers RHP Tanner Hill (0-0, 5.40). Tomorrow will be Taps and Tacos with half-priced draft beer and sodas, plus taco specials. First pitch from Jackie Robinson Ballpark is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. with pregame coverage on the Tortugas Radio network and MiLB.tv with Brennan Mense begins at 6:20 p.m.