Duno's Walkoff Homer Lifts Tortugas to Series-Ending Win
May 11, 2025 - Florida State League (FSL)
Daytona Tortugas News Release
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla - Alfredo Duno crushed a walk-off home run with two outs in the ninth inning and trio of pitchers allowed only three hits as the Daytona Tortugas snuck past the Tampa Tarpons 2-1 on Sunday evening at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Daytona (15-18) earned a series split with Tampa (14-19) behind their first walk-off win of 2025 and the first walk-off home run by a Tortugas since Dominic Pitelli on April 11, 2024.
After a scoreless first, Daytona took the lead against Tampa starter Gage Ziehl in the second. Duno doubled with one out, then moved to third when Ziehl misfired on a pickoff throw. With two outs, a wild pitch brought Duno home with a 1-0 Daytona lead.
Daytona starter Kenya Huggins walked the first batter of the game, but he bounced back immediately, retiring the next ten batters, stretching into the fourth inning. He allowed a one-out single in the fourth followed by a walk, but then induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Huggins finished his day with 4.0 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks, while striking out four, handing off the 1-0 lead to JP Ortiz.
Ortiz ran into trouble in his very first inning, allowing a one-out double to Hans Montero, but Duno cut down Montero trying to steal third for a critical second out. After a two-out walk, Ortiz began a stretch of eight straight batters retired that spanned 1-2-3 sixth and seventh frames.
In the eighth, though, Marshall Toole ripped a one-out triple to right-center. Owen Cobb then followed with a soft grounder to third that was too soft to record an out at the plate, as Toole scored to tie the game at one apiece.
After having no baserunners since the third, Daytona rose to life in the eighth. Luis Reyes led off with a single, then moved to second on a bunt. After Luis Leones reached on a catcher's interference, Leones and pinch-runner Bernard Moon pulled off a double steal to both move into scoring position with one out. However, the next two men struck out to end the inning.
Will Cannon (1-0) entered for Daytona and worked a scoreless ninth for the Tortugas, brushing off a two-out walk and stolen base.
The bottom of the ninth started quietly for the Tortugas as two more strikeouts opened the frame. Duno himself then fell behind 0-2, but after working the count even, he unleased a 433-foot drive on a 2-2 fastball hitting the top of the videoboard in left-center field for a no-doubt walk-off homer, lifting the Tortugas to a 2-1 triumph.
Daytona will have Monday off before opening up a six-game series at The Jack with the St. Lucie Mets on Tuesday. It will be Silver Sluggers, as well as Breast Cancer Awareness Night as well as a Taco Tuesday. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. with first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Pregame coverage with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, will begin on the Tortugas Radio Network and MiLB.tv at 6:20
Tickets for every Tortugas home game are available on our website, by calling 386-257-3172, or by visiting the Jackie Robinson Ballpark box office at 110 E. Orange Avenue.
Florida State League Stories from May 11, 2025
- Duno's Walkoff Homer Lifts Tortugas to Series-Ending Win - Daytona Tortugas
- Threshers Grab Early Lead in Fourth-Straight Win - Clearwater Threshers
- Cardinals Comeback Falls Short in 7-4 Loss to Hammerheads on Sunday - Palm Beach Cardinals
- Dominant Pitching, Timely Rally Power Jays to Fifth Straight Win - Dunedin Blue Jays
- Fort Myers Falls in Series Finale 7-4 - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
- Threshers Take Finale 7-3 Win Series vs. Mets 4-2 - St. Lucie Mets
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