Tortugas Sweep Away Hammerheads
Jupiter, FL - The Daytona Tortugas needed eleven innings, but captured their first four-game series sweep of the season with a 3-2 victory over the Jupiter Hammerheads at Roger Dean Stadium Wednesday night. With the win, Daytona is over .500 (33-32) for the first time since April 10 and have won 9 of their last 11 games.
The Tortugas manufactured a run in the top of the eleventh inning for the win. Aristides Aquino doubled when a pair of Jupiter outfielders let it fall safely in left center field to set the inning.
Brian O'Grady singled for his third hit of the night to push Aquino to third. Gavin LaValley followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to score Aquino and give Daytona the 3-2 lead. It was the third straight game LaValley drove in a run.
O'Grady provided the bulk of the offense for Daytona. Down 1-0 in the fourth, O'Grady bounced an RBI ground out to the second to score Blake Butler from third, tying the game at 1-1. In the seventh, trailing 2-1, O'Grady came up clutch again. With one out, he launched his fourth homer of the season to right field to knot the game.
Jupiter struck first on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ronnie Mitchell in the first inning for the early 1-0 lead. The Hammerheads' second run came on a lead-off Avery Romero homer in the bottom of the fifth.
Daytona's LHP Seth Varner worked a season-high seven innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits, while striking out three, but didn't factor in the decision. RHP Ariel Hernandez (2-0) picked up his second win of the series with two strong innings of relief and struck out a pair.
Ben Holmes (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing the LaValley sacrifice fly in the 11th. FSL All-Star RHP Jimmy Herget notched his 11th save of the season in as many chances to hold on to the win.
Daytona returns to Jackie Robinson Ballpark Thursday to host their rivals in the Brevard County Manatees. RHP Tejay Antone (5-4, 3.82 ERA) gets the start for Daytona while Brevard County counters with RHP Cody Ponce (0-0, 2.25). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM with the Chili's pre-game show beginning at 6:50 PM on AM 1230 and AM 1490 WSBB.
Notes: It was just the Tortugas second extra-inning win of the season in six tries. Their first came on Opening Day in a 5-4 win over Brevard County…The Tortugas have outscored their opponents 43-25 in their last 11 games, going 9-2…Brian O'Grady is hitting .476 (10-for-21) in his last seven games.