Daytona Deflates Palm Beach, 5-4, with Three-Run Eighth

July 2, 2022 – Florida State League (FSL) – Daytona Tortugas News Release

JUPITER, Fla. – Daytona sent eight hitters to the plate and tallied three runs on four hits in the eighth inning. This enabled the Tortugas to erase a two-run deficit and topple the Palm Beach Cardinals, 5-4, on Saturday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

CF Fidel Castro (2-5, R, RBI, 3 SO) ignited Daytona’s (3-5, 32-41) rally in the eighth with a leadoff single to left. Following a walk to RF Jack Rogers (0-4, R, BB, 4 SO), DH Hayden Jones (0-4, R, SO) smacked a ground ball to first. The throw to second was dropped at second, enabling everyone to advance safely on the fielder’s choice. Castro scored on the error to pull the Tortugas within a run, 4-3.

On a 1-1 pitch, 1B Michel Triana (1-4, RBI, SO) stung a ground ball through the right side of the infield for a single. Rogers scored, while Jones went to third, knotting the game up at four apiece.

The contest did not stay equal for long. C Wilfred Astudillo (2-3, R, RBI, BB) smashed the first pitch he saw into right for another knock. Triana was thrown out trying to get back to second after rounding too far off the bag, but Jones crossed the dish, giving Daytona the lead back, 5-4.

The Tortugas’ bullpen slammed the door shut from that point forward. RHP Dennis Boatman (3.2 IP, H, 2 BB, 4 SO) retired the Cardinals (6-2, 36-36) in order in the eighth, capping a career-high 3.2 shutout innings of relief and, ultimately, his second victory.

In the bottom of the ninth, RHP Luis Mey (1.0 IP, H, SO) sealed the triumph. The 21-year-old stranded the tying run in scoring position after a two-out double from SS Jeremy Rivas (1-3, R, 2B, 2 BB, SO), inducing a fly out to left to register his first save of the season and the third of his career.

Both teams traded runs early in the contest. RF Elijah Cabell (1-3, RBI, BB, 2 SO) poked a bases-loaded RBI single to center in the bottom of the first, giving Palm Beach a 1-0 advantage. Daytona promptly tied it in the top of the second courtesy of a run-producing double to right from 3B Austin Callahan (2-4, 2B, RBI, SO).

The top of the fifth saw the Tortugas snatch a brief lead, 2-1, when SS Ilvin Fernández (2-4, R, SO) garnered a single to left, advanced first to third on a ground out, and came home on a base hit to left from Castro.

Palm Beach posted a crooked number in the bottom of the inning. With the bases full and nobody out, McKeithan collected an infield single to third, bringing in a run…