O'Donnell's Big Night, Early Lead Can't Prevent Ft. Myers Comeback

FT. MYERS, FL—Ethan O’Donnell stroked three hits and drove in two and Ryan Cardona struck out eight batters for a third straight start, but an early 3-0 lead evaporated for the Daytona Tortugas as the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels took a 9-4 victory on Saturday night at Hammond Stadium.

Ft. Myers (26-27, 60-59) secured a series victory largely by taking advantage of 11 Daytona (22-28. 51-65) walks, seven of which wound up scoring.

In the top of the first, Daytona struck first against Ft. Myers starter Jose Olivares. Victor Acosta and Dominic Pitelli walked to begin the ballgame. Jackson Miller came up and followed with a bloop single to left to score Acosta with the first run. After a walk, O’Donnell came up with his first RBI hit, a single through the right side to score Pitelli to put Daytona in front 2-0.

Cardona immediately ran into trouble in the bottom of the first as he surrendered a leadoff double. After a strikeout, two walks loaded the inning, but the right-hander picked up two more strikeouts to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.

After Cardona fanned two more in a 1-2-3 second, the Tortugas added to the lead against Olivares. Miller drew a one-out walk, then hustled all the way home when O’Donnell jumped on a first-pitch fastball and lined it into the right-center gap for an RBI double to put Daytona ahead 3-0.

Cardona erased a leadoff walk in the fourth with a double play before ending the inning with his season high-tying eighth strikeout.

The right-hander had an opportunity to work five innings, but couldn’t finish the inning. He allowed a leadoff walk before inducing a flyout, but another free pass ended his night, with Nicolo Pinazzi inheriting two runners with one out and a 3-0 lead.

However, the tide turned as Pinazzi issued a walk to his first man to load the bases for Danny De Andrade came up and hit a chopper up the middle to score two runs. Rubel Cespedes followed with a chopper to second that brought home another run, tying the game at three apiece.

An inning later, Ft. Myers pulled ahead. Two walks began the inning and a wild pitch advanced both runners another 90 feet. Dillon Tatum then lifted a sacrifice fly to bring in the go-ahead run and Maddux Houghton singled home another, stretching the newfound advantage to 5-3.

After a scoreless seventh, the Tortugas mounted one last push in the eighth. A one-out walk was followed by O’Donnell’s third hit of the night. Jack Moss then stepped up and lined his first hit as a Tortuga, a line shot to left-center that scored a run. After a bobble in left, O’Donnell was waved home as well, but he was cut down at the plate to keep Daytona from tying the game. However, it was now 5-4.

Ft. Myers, though, promptly put the game out of reach in the bottom of the eighth. Two one-out walks preceeded a Luke Keaschall double, with a wild pitch moving him to third in front of a sac fly from De Andrade. Another walk then came around to score on an error, bringing in the fourth run of the frame to put Ft. Myers in front 9-4.

Daytona picked up a one-out double from Acosta in the ninth, but nothing more as Samuel Perez, who had finished the eighth, picked up a four-out save to secure a 9=4 victory for the Mighty Mussels.

Daytona will finish the series against the Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels on Sunday afternoon. RHP Johnathan Harmon (3-5, 4.15) gets the ball for Daytona against Ft. Myers RHP Juan Mercedes (2-0, 5.40). First pitch will be at 12:00 p.m. with pregame coverage from Hammond Stadium with the voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, beginning at 11:45 a.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.