Big Bats, Strong Start Lead Charge as Tortugas Snap Skid With Resounding Rout

DAYTONA BEACH—Sal Stewart and Cam Collier each ripped three hits, Arij Fransen turned in 5.0 strong innings to earn the win, and the Daytona Tortugas won going away, snapping a six-game skid with an 11-2 rout of the St. Lucie Mets Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

Daytona (12-17, 41-53) pounded out 14 hits on offense while not allowing a single walk to St. Lucie (9-22, 33-63), who dropped their fourth straight.

Both teams got off and running in the first pitch, with St. Lucie jumping in front right away. On the second pitch from Fransen, Nick Mirabito blasted a solo home run 390 feet to left-center, staking the Mets to a 1-0 lead.

Daytona, though, answered right back against Layonel Ovalles. Victor Acosta reached on a two-base throwing error to open the bottom of the first. After a wild pitch, Stewart lined an RBI single to right to tie the game at one apiece.

In the second, the Tortugas battered Ovalles for four hits in the frame. Hector Rodriguez lined a two-out, two-run single up the middle to put Daytona in front. Stewart followed by roping a double into the gap in right-center to score Rodriguez, making it 4-1, Tortugas.

Fransen was greeted by a pair of singles in the third, putting runners on the corners with no outs. A double play ball followed, which brought in a run, but also ended any more of a threat in the inning, which ended with Daytona ahead 4-2.

The right-hander then followed by facing the minimum over the fourth and fifth innings, finishing his outing with a 1-2-3 fifth. Fransen (3-7) earned his first win since May 23, going 5.0 innings and allowing three hits and two runs, while striking out four and not walking a batter.

Daytona gave Fransen a parting gift with two more runs off Ovalles in the fifth. Logan Tanner drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Johnny Ascanio lined an RBI single to push the lead to 6-2.

Joseph Menefee came on for the Tortugas and worked around a pair of two-out hits in a scoreless sixth before striking out the side in the seventh and brushing aside a leadoff hit in the eighth as he spun 3.0 scoreless frames.

Daytona then put the game away in the eighth, batting around and scoring five times. After loading the bases with one out, Stewart blooped a single for his third hit and RBI of the night, with a balk bringing in a second run. Cam Collier capped off a three-hit night of his own by ripping a two-run double to right and scored on a pair of back-to-back errors, capping off the offensive attack.

Brody Jessee came on and worked around a two-out single, striking out a pair in a scoreless ninth to nail down the 11-2 victory.

The Tortugas will play game two against the St. Lucie Mets on Wednesday night. RHP Jared Lyons (0-3, 4.78) gets the ball for Daytona against St. Lucie RHP Douglas Orellana (3-2, 4.04). It’s another Belly Buster Wednesday featuring all-you-can eat hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, and popcorn. First pitch from Jackie Robinson Ballpark will be at 6:35 p.m. with pregame coverage with the voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, beginning at 6:20 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.