Tortugas Punch Playoff Ticket with Two-Hitter & Two Homers
FSL Daytona Tortugas

Tortugas Punch Playoff Ticket with Two-Hitter & Two Homers

Published on September 3, 2025 under Florida State League (FSL)
Daytona Tortugas News Release


JUPITER, Fla- Kien Vu and Alfredo Duno connected on back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning to put away a game where Daytona pitching struck out 14 batters and allowed just two hits in a 6-1 victory over the Palm Beach Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium that sent the Tortugas back to the Florida State League playoffs for the second year in a row.

Daytona will open the postseason on Tuesday, September 9 at 6:35 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Ballpark against the St. Lucie Mets. Tickets will go on sale at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 3 and can be purchased at www.milb.com/Daytona, by calling 386-257-3172, or visiting the Tortugas box office at 110 E. Orange Avenue.

Daytona (34-26, 63-63) will make their fourth playoff appearance in Tortugas history and make back-to-back playoff appearances for the first time under the Tortugas banner. In the process, the Tortugas vanquished Palm Beach (28-32, 60-65), knocking out the team that ended Daytona's season in the postseason a season ago.

After a 34-minute weather delay pregame, Daytona got started right away. Kyle Henley led off the game with a single, then advanced to third on a pair of groundouts. With two out, Tyson Lewis lined a double down the left-field line to score Henley for a 1-0 lead.

Daytona put two on with no outs in the second, but was unable to cash in. Palm Beach then took advantage, as Jose Suarez drew a leadoff walk, then scored all the way from first on a two-out double from Trevor Haskins, tying the game at one apiece.

Outside of the double, Daytona starter Cole Schoenwetter was very good. The right-hander bounced back with two more scoreless frames, finishing his night with 4.0 innings of one hit and one-run ball, walking one, plunking one, and striking out five.

In the fifth, Daytona regained the lead. Henley led off with an infield hit, then with one out stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw. Immediately afterwards, Alfredo Duno lifted a foulout to right that was deep enough to score Henley to give Daytona a 2-1 lead.

One inning later, the Tortugas added to the lead. Bernard Moon legged out an infield hit with one out, then moved to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Drew Davies crushed a double to deep right-center, scoring Moon to double the lead to 3-1.

Entering in the fifth, Drew Pestka was outstanding in relief. The right-hander allowed a one-out walk in his opening frame, but he brushed it off in finishing the frame, then spun a 1-2-3 sixth. He saved his best for last, striking out three in a row in the seventh after an error to open the seventh.

Pestka (6-2) threw 3.0 hitless innings, allowing no runs and one walk, while matching a career high with six strikeouts and leaving in line for the victory.

In the eighth, the Tortugas resorted to the longball to put the game away. Davies walked with one out, then two batters later Vu ripped a hanging slider at 106.9 mph over the right-field fence for a two-run home run, his third of the season. Duno then stepped up and followed with a solo shot the other way, his league-leading 16th of the season.

With a 6-1 lead, Gabe Starks entered and brushed off a one-out walk in a scoreless eighth. In the ninth, he surrendered a two-out double, but he followed with a three-pitch strikeout of Trevor Haskins to end the game, catching Haskins looking on a fastball for the final strikeout to punch Daytona's return ticket to the playoffs.

The Tortugas will play game two of a six-game trip against the Palm Beach Cardinals on Wednesday night. First pitch from Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium will be at 6:30 p.m. with pregame coverage with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, on the Tortugas Radio Network beginning at 6:20.

Season tickets and other multi-game packages are available now for the 2026 season by calling 386-257-3172 or by visiting the Jackie Robinson Ballpark box office at 110 E. Orange Avenue.

Check out the Daytona Tortugas Statistics

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Florida State League Stories from September 3, 2025


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