Tortugas and Threshers Split Saturday Twinbill

August 21, 2022 – Florida State League (FSL) – Daytona Tortugas News Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – RF-1B Jack Rogers and 1B Yassel Pino helped provide the offense as each homered in both ends of the doubleheader, as the Daytona Tortugas and Clearwater Threshers split a twinbill at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Clearwater captured the opener, 6-4, while Daytona secured the nightcap, 5-4, in front of 2,220 fans on Saturday night.

After dropping the opener, Daytona (15-30, 44-66) blasted off in the bottom of the first. With the bases empty and two out, Rogers (1-3, R, HR, RBI, 2 SO) powered a ball beyond the fence in left-center field for a solo home run. His second of the day and eighth of the campaign put the Tortugas ahead 1-0.

Three pitches later, it was Pino’s (1-1, R, HR, RBI, BB) turn. The Miami, Fla. resident sent one flying behind the batting cages in straightaway left for back-to-back blasts. Pino’s fourth of the season and second of the day also doubled Daytona’s advantage to 2-0.

After Clearwater (17-30, 52-60) pulled to within a run on a DH Jamari Baylor (1-3, BB, SO) single and throwing error, the Tortugas snared an insurance run in the fifth.

C Wilfred Astudillo (2-3, R, 2B, 2 RBI, SO) started the inning by wallopping a double off the right-center field fence. With one out, the Barcelona, Venezuela native broke towards third when a ball squirted to the right of the catcher. The throw down to third deflected off the third baseman’s mitt and into left field. Astudillo pranced home on the throwing error to put the ‘Tugas back up a deuce, 3-1.

In the top of the sixth, the Threshers drew even. Following a leadoff hit-by-pitch and a pitching change due to an apparent injury, C Ryan Leitch (1-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, 2 SO) kept a towering drive fair down the left-field line for a game-tying, two-run home run. The Marshall University alum’s first career clout knotted the game at three.

It would not stay even for long, as Daytona retaliated in the bottom of the inning. RF Wendell Marrero (1-1, R) reached on an infield hit and took second on a wild pitch before moving to third on a knock from SS Edwin Arroyo (1-3, R, 2 SO).

Following a ground out to third and a strikeout, Astudillo delivered the go-ahead blow. With men at second and third, the switch-hitter slapped a single through the left side of the infield to bring in a pair, placing the Tortugas back in front, 5-3.

Clearwater would not go quickly in the seventh, though. The first two batters of the frame were…