Sando Stellar, But Tortugas Early Lead Slips Away in Ten-Inning Defeat

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla—Nick Sando began the night with 4.0 hitless innings and the Daytona Tortugas struck for a pair of early runs, but the Dunedin Blue Jays tied the game in the seventh, then scored twice in the tenth to take the series opener 4-3 in ten innings on Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

Dunedin (15-14, 49-46) allowed just two hits in the final eight innings of the game as Daytona (15-13, 46-48) fell to 4-10 in extra inning games this season, including three extra-inning losses in the last four games.

After a scoreless first inning, Daytona took the lead in the bottom of the second inning against Dunedin start Ryan Watson. With two outs, Connor Burns doubled to deep center, then scored one pitch later on a Malvin Valdez RBI single. Valdez scooted to second on error, which proved to be fortuitous when Jack Moss followed with an RBI single to put Daytona in front 2-0.

Sando held the lead with little trouble as the left-hander was dialed in. After a one-out walk in the first, the southpaw retired the next 11 hitters, including a pair of strikeouts in the third and fourth innings. All told, Sando went 4.0 hitless innings, striking out five and walking one.

Jose Montero then entered the game in the fifth and start off his night with a 1-2-3 inning. However, Drew Jemison led off the sixth with a double to left to break up the no-hitter. With two outs, Aaron Parker stroked a two-out single to center, scoring Jemison to cut the lead in half.

Daytona then launched a threat in the bottom of the sixth as Watson walked the first two batters of the inning. However, a strikeout and a double play ended the frame and the score stayed 2-1.

Dunedin then tied the game in the seventh. A one-out walk was followed by a double to right, putting two men in scoring position. Jemison then lifted a sacrifice fly to left, evening the game at two apiece.

Drew Pestka came on for the ninth and worked around a pair of singles and a walk, picking up a strikeout with the bases loaded to end the inning. Meanwhile, the Tortugas did little in the final three innings against Nate Garkow, who spun 3.0 scoreless innings to send the game to extra innings.

In the tenth, Dunedin jumped in front right away. The leadoff batter, Yhoander Aponte, lined a base hit to center that scooted past the center fielder all the way to the wall, scoring automatic runner Bryce Arnold and putting Aponte at third. A sacrifice fly from Arjun Nimmala followed, putting the Blue Jays in front 4-2.

In the bottom of the tenth, the automatic runner Burns moved to third on a wild pitch, then scored on a sacrifice fly to bring Daytona within a run. However, the Tortugas drew no closer as Dunedin held on for a 4-3 win in ten innings.

Daytona will have play a doubleheader against the Dunedin Blue Jays on Wednesday night. Wednesday night will be Belly Buster Wednesday with all-you-can-eat hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, and Little Caesar’s Pizza beginning at $17. Gates will open at 4:00 p.m. with first pitch of game one from Jackie Robinson Ballpark at 5:00 p.m. Game two will begin approximately 40 minutes following the conclusion of the first game. Pregame coverage on the Tortugas Radio Network and MiLB.tv/Bally Live with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense begins at 4:50 p.m.