Third Time Not a Charm for Daytona
June 26, 2016 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Daytona Tortugas News Release
Clearwater, FL - The Daytona Tortugas (38-35, 2-2) surrendered three different leads in a 5-4 loss to the Clearwater Threshers (43-29, 4-0) in 10 innings at Bright House Field Sunday afternoon. Mitch Walding drove in the game-winning run on a sacrifice fly for the Threshers. The Tortugas left seven men on base and went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
The Tortugas struck in their first at-bat of the game. A one-out double by Blake Trahan and a walk by Brian O'Grady set the stage before Angelo Gumbs drove Trahan home from second on a single up the right field line to give Daytona a 1-0 lead. Gavin LaValley followed with a sacrifice fly to left to drive in O'Grady from third.
The Threshers, however, bit through the deficit and scored a run in the third on a Kyle Martin sacrifice fly to make it 2-1. Walding knotted the game in the fifth with an RBI single to centerfield to tie the game at two.
Daytona answered in the sixth when O'Grady led off the inning with a bunt single, stole second, and advanced to third on a throwing error by Clearwater catcher Chance Numata. LaValley delivered with a one-out ground-rule double to right field to score O'Grady and allowed the Tortugas to retake the lead, 3-2.
Clearwater wasted no time tying the game up for a second time when Carlos Tocci scored Derek Campbell from second on a base hit to tie it once again. It was one of Tocci's five hits in the ballgame, a career-high.
In the eighth, Daytona took their third lead of the game on an Aristides Aquino two-out run-scoring infield single to score Trahan for a Daytona 4-3 lead. The hit extended Aquino's hitting streak to 13 games.
Clearwater responded for the third time with a run in the bottom of the inning, courtesy of a two-out RBI double from Tocci to tie the game once more, 4-4.
After the Tortugas left Gumbs at first in their half of the tenth, Clearwater opened their half with a pair of singles to put runners at the corners. Walding stepped to the plate two batters later and lofted a fly ball to center to score Scott Kingery from third to walk-off the Tortugas, 5-4.
LHP Juan Martinez (1-1) suffered the loss while Clearwater's RHP Will Morris earned the win (4-2), as he tossed a scoreless top of the tenth.
The Tortugas are back at Bright House Field for the second game of the series Monday. LHP Seth Varner (4-4, 3.00 ERA) gets the start for Daytona, while RHP Shane Watson (4-5, 4.43 ERA) starts for Clearwater. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 PM with the Chili's pre-game show beginning at 6:50 PM on AM 1230 and AM 1490 WSBB.
Notes: With their 11 hits, the Tortugas have now collected double-digit hits in five straight games, racking up 70 in total... Gavin LaValley has driven in 14 runs in his last 11 games, including two on Sunday... The Tortugas are now 1-6 against Clearwater this year and 0-4 on the road... Walding posses both Clearwater walk-off's this season.
• Discuss this story on the Florida State League message board...
Florida State League Stories from June 26, 2016
- Fort Myers, Bradenton Suspended on Sunday Night - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
- Third Time Not a Charm for Daytona - Daytona Tortugas
- Tocci Tags 5 Hits, Threshers Walk off in 10 - Clearwater Threshers
- Tampa Yankees Postpone Game vs. Brevard Co. - Tampa Yankees
- Hammerheads Take Bite out of Mets, 12-4 - St. Lucie Mets
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Daytona Tortugas Stories
- Wild Wednesday Walk-off Evens Series
- Cabrera Extends Hit Streak in Shutout Loss
- Ricardo Cabrera Named Florida State League Player of the Week
- Tortugas Hit Three Homers, But Late Bradenton Rally Leads to 8-7 Loss
- Big Hit, Big Throws Key Tortugas to Series-Clinching Win
