Tarpons Triumph With 9-3 Win Over Tortugas

TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Tarpons (33-18) bounced back from last night’s loss to the Daytona Tortugas (33-19) with a commanding 9-3 win on Friday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Luis Escudero continued his torrid stretch at the plate, turning in his sixth straight multi-hit performance with a 2-for-4 night and raising his August batting average to .357.

J.T. Etheridge earned the win on the hill, tossing five innings of one-run baseball while allowing just two hits and striking out a career-high eight batters.

Brando Mayea opened the scoring for the Tarpons in the bottom of the second, launching a two-run homer over the Rooms To Go Patio in right field to give Tampa a 2-0 advantage.

The Tarps scored the bulk of their runs and broke the game open in the bottom of the third. A pair of RBI doubles from Anthony Potestio and Tyce Armstrong extended the lead to 5-0 before Blake Cyr added an exclamation point to the inning. Cyr smashed his first professional home run, pushing the Tarpons’ advantage to 7-0.

Daytona scratched across its first run in the top of the fourth, but Tampa answered right back. Luke Pettitte blasted his second home run of the season in the bottom half of the inning, restoring the Tarpons’ six-run advantage.

Tampa added another insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Potestio lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, making it a 9-1 game.

The Tortugas rallied for two runs in the ninth, but the late push proved to be too little, too late as the Tarpons held on for the 9-3 victory.

Tampa and Daytona will continue their series tomorrow with daytime baseball at GMS Field. First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m.