Jupiter cools Blue Jays bats after first inning rally

Jupiter, FL – Following a hot first inning start, the Dunedin bats couldn’t re-heat and fell to Jupiter 4-3 in the series opener on Tuesday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. The loss is the Blue Jays’ fourth straight.

Dunedin took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. The scoring started as Manuel Beltre swiped third, and then scored as the throw to third got away. Edward Duran and Alexis Hernandez drove in the next two tallies on RBI singles.

The Hammerheads responded by scoring in the next three frames against Blue Jays’ starter Connor O’Halloran.

In the bottom of the first, Brock Vrandenburg drove home Jordan McCants on a sac fly that made it 3-1. In the second, Colby Shade grounded out, bringing Yeral Martinez home from third, cutting the lead to 3-2.

In the third, Jupiter took the lead for good with a two-spot. With no outs, the Hammerheads loaded the bases and then tied the game as Vrandenburg walked. Then, John Cruz’s sacrifice fly to right put Jupiter in the drivers’ seat.

O’Halloran finished his start on a high note, allowing just one base runner (on an error) in his final two frames.

The rest of the contest was defined by Jupiter’s bullpen, as five pitchers combined for eight innings of shutout, no-hit ball. The Jays managed one base runner in the game’s final eight innings – a Yhoangel Aponte walk in the top of the ninth.

Dunedin will have another chance to snap its losing skid on Wednesday night at 6:30 pm in Jupiter, with Juaron Watts-Brown set to start for the Jays.