Stafura and Duno Homer as Tortugas Survive Late Rally in First Half Finale

JUPITER, Fla—Sammy Stafura and Alfredo Duno each homered amidst two-hit, two-RBI nights and the Daytona Tortugas held off a late charge by the Jupiter Hammerheads to win the final game of the first half, 6-4 on Thursday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

Daytona finishes the half at 29-37, while Jupiter closes at 30-36, as the Hammerheads left the bases loaded in each of the final two innings.

In the first inning, Daytona jumped out to a quick lead. Stafura, the second batter of the game, turned on a 2-2 fastball from Jupiter starter Dameivi Tineo and crushed a high fly ball just inside the left field foul pole for a solo homer, his fourth of the season, to put the Tortugas in front 1-0.

Daytona threatened to add on in the next two innings as the Tortugas loaded the bases with two down in the second and also stroked a pair of two-out singles in the third. Both times, though, the Tortugas were unable to come up with a two-out hit to extend the lead.

Early on, though, it didn’t matter, as Daytona starter Edgar Colon threw 1-2-3 first and second frames. His string reached eight straight outs before Ian Lewis singled with two outs in the third. However, Alfredo Duno cut down Lewis trying to steal to end the inning.

In the fourth, Jupiter threatened as Colon walked the first two batters of the inning. The right-hander, though, buckled down with a strikeout, then induced a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning, which concluded Colon’s night with 4.0 scoreless innings and just one hit allowed.

Jacob Edwards came on for the fifth and issued a one-out walked, but induced another double play ball, this time a 4-3 bouncer, to end the inning.

In the sixth, Daytona took advantage of three inning-opening walks to Luis Reyes, Malvin Valdez, and Iverson Espinoza. A wild pitch scored Reyes, then Kyle Henley’s sacrifice fly brought in Valdez. Stafura then came through with an RBI single to drive in his second run of the night, stretching the lead to 4-0.

Edwards (1-1) followed with a 1-2-3 sixth, but ran into trouble in the seventh. After sandwiching two strikeouts around a walk, a bloop single brought up Cody Schrier, who ripped a drive into right-center just off the end of Henley’s glove that fell for a two-run triple, slicing the lead in half to 4-2.

In the eighth, Trent Hodgdon entered and quickly recorded the first two outs. However, two walks and a single loaded the bases, only for Hodgdon to escape the jam with a strikeout.

Daytona turned around and restored their four-run cushion in the ninth as Stafura walked with one out, then came around when Duno demolished a 3-2 fastball 423 feet to deep left-center for his seventh homer of the season, making it 6-2, Tortugas.

Those insurance runs proved to be critical as three one-out walks loaded the bases for Jupiter in the bottom of the ninth. Beau Blanchard entered and promptly allowed a hit up the middle by Lewis that scored two runs and put the tying run on base. After a strikeout for the second out, an intentional walk loaded the bases for PJ Morlando, but Blanchard fanned him as well, ending the game as Daytona closed the curtain on the first half with a 6-4 victory.

Daytona will play game four of a six-game series against the Jupiter Hammerheads at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Friday evening, which will also be the first game of the second half. First pitch from Jupiter will be at 6:30 p.m. while pregame coverage on Tuesday with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, will begin on the Tortugas Radio Network at 6:20 p.m.

Tickets for every Tortugas home game are available on our website, by calling 386-257-3172, or by visiting the Jackie Robinson Ballpark box office at 110 E. Orange Avenue.

ABOUT THE DAYTONA TORTUGAS

The Daytona Tortugas are in their tenth season as the Single-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and a member of Minor League Baseball’s Florida State League. The Tortugas play at historic Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Florida that was recently designated a National Commemorative Site. 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.