Tortugas Clipped in Ten-Inning Duel, 2-1

FT. MYERS, FL—Gabriel Aguilera threw a season-high 5.0 innings of one-hit ball, but the Daytona Tortugas failed to score after the first inning as the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels scratched across a walk-off 2-1 win in ten innings on Thursday night at Hammond Stadium.

Ft. Myers (23-28, 58-59) was held to just two hits, but made the most of their chances while Daytona (22-27, 51-63) left ten men on base and were 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

In the top of the first, Daytona took the lead against Ft. Myers starter Miguelangel Boadas. Dominic Pitelli struck out to open the game, but reached on a dropped third strike before moving to third on a Johnny Ascanio double. Two batters later, Cam Collier grounded out to bring home Pitelli with a 1-0 lead.

With the lead, Aguilera settled in from the start for Daytona, setting down the side on just seven pitches in the bottom of the first. He followed that with a 1-2-3 second and then the same in the third, with the latter inning ending on an exceptional diving catch from Ethan O’Donnell in center field.

After a fourth 1-2-3 inning from Aguilera, the Tortugas mounted a threat against Boadas in the fifth. O’Donnell singled with one out and moved to second on a hit by Pitelli. Boadas then departed in favor of Wilker Reyes, who struck out Ascanio on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat.

In the bottom of the fifth, Aguilera saw his streak of 12 straight batters retired to open the game evaporate as leadoff man Danny De Andrade blasted a 2-1 curve over the left field fence to tie the game. Aguilera also surrendered a one-out walk, but retired the next two hitters as he finished five innings for the first time this season.

Aguilera worked 5.0 innings, allowing one run on one hit and one walk, while striking out four in a no-decision.

In the sixth, the Tortugas threatened against Reyes as Jackson Miller, making his Tortugas debut, drew a leadoff walk before Collier singled up the middle. Reyes, though, picked up a strikeout and two groundouts to end the inning, with a bang-bang play at first with runners on the corners being ruled an out toe end the frame.

An inning later, Daytona again threatened. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with two outs for Collier. However, Reyes struck out Collier to end the inning, as Daytona left multiple runners on base for the third inning in a row, keeping the game deadlocked at one.

On the other side, though, Nestor Lorant worked a 1-2-3 sixth in his first frame of relief, then issued a leadoff walk in the seventh. Despite throwing two wild pitches in the inning, Lorant was able to retire the next three hitters to put up another zero.

Daytona, meanwhile, failed to mount a threat in the late innings as Ricardo Velez retired the side in order in both the eighth and ninth, striking out four.

After Lorant secured three scoreless innings with a scoreless eighth, Frainger Aranguren then entered for Daytona and spun a scoreless ninth, navigating a one-out walk to send the game to extras.

In the tenth, Daytona could not push across the automatic runner against Velez as a pop-up groundout, and strikeout allowed the Ft. Myers righty to put up a critical scoreless frame, setting up Ft. Myers for the win.

In the bottom of the frame, an intentional walk put two on for pinch-hitter Nate Baez, who popped up a bunt for the first out. However, Aranguren issued a walk to load the bases for Maddux Houghton, who lifted the first pitch deep enough to left to score pinch runner Jay Harry with the winning tally to give Ft. Myers a walk-off, 2-1 victory.

Daytona will play game four against the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels on Friday night. RHP Mason Pelio (2-7, 5.40) gets the ball for Daytona against Ft. Myers RHP John Klein (1-1, 4.67). First pitch will be at 7:00 p.m. with pregame coverage from Hammond Stadium with the voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, beginning at 6:45 p.m. on the Tortugas Radio Network.

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.