Tortugas Shut Out Cardinals to Begin Twinbill; Second Game Suspended
DAYTONA BEACH—Mason Pelio spun 5.0 scoreless innings on his 23rd birthday to lead the Daytona Tortugas to a 5-0 win over the Palm Beach Cardinals in game one of a doubleheader before the second contest was suspended in the middle of the second inning. Daytona (9-7, 38-43) and Palm Beach
DAYTONA BEACH—Mason Pelio spun 5.0 scoreless innings on his 23rd birthday to lead the Daytona Tortugas to a 5-0 win over the Palm Beach Cardinals in game one of a doubleheader before the second contest was suspended in the middle of the second inning.
Daytona (9-7, 38-43) and Palm Beach (3-13, 40-41) will pick up the second game with Palm Beach batting to begin the bottom of the second in a scoreless game. The game will resume at 2:30 p.m. with a seven-inning contest to follow approximately 40 minutes following the conclusion of the first game.
The Tortugas began the twinbill with a good start. Hector Rodriguez led off game one with a first-pitch single to center off Palm Beach starter Cade Winquest. He then swiped second, moved to third on a groundout, then scored on a sacrifice fly to left-center by Cade Hunter, staking Daytona to an early 1-0 lead.
Pelio struck out two batters in the first, then embarked on a string of ground-ball outs. He allowed a two-out walk in the second and a single in the third, but he recorded five of the six outs in those innings on the ground, holding Palm Beach off the board.
In the fourth, Daytona added a run. With one out, Hunter deposited the first pitch from Winquest 396 feet the opposite way, clearing the wall for his tenth home run of the season. The solo shot put the Tortugas up 2-0.
Palm Beach embarked on their best scoring opportunity in the fourth as Joshua Baez led off with an infield single, stole second, and moved to third with one out on a ground out. However, on a second groundout, Baez inexplicably stayed at third, and a lineout ended the inning with the Cardinals still scoreless.
After a scoreless fifth, Pelio (2-2) departed after 5.0 innings, allowing no runs on four hits and a walk, striking out three as he left in line for the win. Frainger Aranguren followed with a nine-pitch, 1-2-3 inning in the sixth.
In the seventh, Daytona put the game out of reach against the Palm Beach bullpen. A leadoff single and one-out walk set the table for Victor Acosta, who roped an RBI single to center off Jack Lynch to bring in a run. After a pitching change, Yerlin Confidan provided the finishing touches on game one with a two-run double off the center-field wall, pushing the lead to 5-0, Tortugas.
Jacob Heatherly entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning and finished the game in style, striking out the side to nail down the 5-0 victory, the fifth shutout win for Daytona this season.
Game two began with Daytona putting two on with one out in the first, but failing to score. The Tortugas again mounted a threat in the second, putting two on with two outs for Acosta. However, with a 2-0 count, torrential rain forced a delay.
The delay, though, was brief as the teams were off the field for only 13 minutes as the rain abated. Acosta then walked to load the bases for Sal Stewart, who worked the count full, but bounced to third to end the inning and keep the game scoreless. However, the rain intensified once again and the game once more entered a delay in the middle of the second.
After a delay of over an hour, the second game was officially suspended.
The Tortugas will finish the series with Palm Beach on Sunday evening. The suspended game will resume first, to be followed by another seven-inning contest. RHP Ryan Cardona (1-1, 2.83) will get the ball for Daytona against Palm Beach LHP Brycen Mautz (2-7, 4.08). It will be a Shelldon’s Family Fun Day featuring postgame Kids Run the Bases sponsored by Neighbor’s Ice Cream Parlor. First pitch for the resumption is scheduled at 2:30 p.m. with pregame coverage on the Tortugas Radio Network with the Voice of the Tortugas Brennan Mense begins at 2:15 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.