Tortugas Tackle Tarpons, 9-8, in Walk-Off Thriller

September 8, 2022 – Florida State League (FSL) – Daytona Tortugas News Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Despite trailing 5-0 in the fourth and 6-1 in the sixth, the Daytona Tortugas rallied to score eight of the game’s final 10 runs to walk-off the Tampa Tarpons, 9-8, in 10 innings before 1,010 fans at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Wednesday night.

Behind 6-1 heading to the bottom of the sixth, Daytona (23-38, 52-74) looked to whittle the deficit down. SS Edwin Arroyo (3-5, 2 R, 2B, RBI, 2 SO) looped a single to left leading off the inning and moved to second on a subsequent knock by CF Justin Boyd (1-4, 2 R, BB, 2 SO).

After a pair of strikeouts, C Wilfred Astudillo (1-4, 2 RBI, BB, SO) poked a two-run base-hit to left, pulling the Tortugas within 6-3.

Tampa (34-26, 61-65) snatched one of the two tallies back in the seventh. 1B Anthony García (1-5, 2 R, BB, 2 SO) roped a single to right and moved into scoring position on 2B Brett Barrera’s (1-5, 4 SO) one-base knock. RF Tayler Aguilar (1-5, 2B, RBI, 3 SO) angled the second pitch he saw for a run-scoring double, placing the Tarpons up four, 7-3.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, the Tortugas started to percolate. RF Jack Rogers (1-4, R, BB, 3 SO) ignited a rally with a single to left and quickly scored all the way from first on a double in the right-field corner by DH Logan Tanner (1-5, R, 2B, RBI, 3 SO). Arroyo promptly scored the 2022 second-round pick with a single through the right side, yanking Daytona’s deficit to two, 7-5.

The 19-year-old shuffled into scoring position by swiping second base, while Boyd reached as the tying run on a walk. Following a strike out, LF Blake Dunn (1-2, R, HR, 3 RBI, BB, SO) provided a powerful blow.

The Western Michigan University alum fell behind in the count with two immediate strikes but did not miss the third offering. Dunn sent the pitch beyond the right-center field wall for a go-ahead, three-run home run. The 23-year-old’s fourth blast of the campaign provided Daytona their first lead of the day, 8-7.

It did not stick, as Tampa tied the game in the top of the ninth. Trailing a five-pitch free pass to García that started the frame, DH Ben Rice (2-4, R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI) golfed a delivery into the right-field corner. The nimble first baseman raced all the way around from first to score on the two-base knock, tying the game at eight.

Daytona could not cash in their opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. Arroyo reached on a high-arcing double to…