Tortugas Slug to Game One Win; Blanked in Game Two to Split Twinbill

May 16, 2024 – Florida State League (FSL)
Daytona Tortugas News Release

CLEARWATER, Fla- Yerlin Confidan’s career-high two home runs and five RBI powered the Daytona Tortugas to an 8-5 victory to open the day, before the Clearwater Threshers scratched across a sixth inning run to take the nightcap 1-0 as the two teams split a Thursday evening doubleheader at BayCare Ballpark.

Daytona (19-17) earned the game one victory behind the third multi-home run game by a Tortuga this season, though Clearwater (22-14) spoiled 5.0 no-hit innings from Juan Martinez to hand Daytona their seventh shutout loss of the season.

In the first inning of game one, Daytona pulled ahead against Clearwater right-hander Luke Russo. With one out, Dominic Pitelli rolled a double up the third base line. He then took off for third on the same pitch that Alfredo Duno hit a slow roller to third. When the ball was mishandled, Pitelli kept running and crossed the plate without a throw to put Daytona ahead 1-0.

Daytona right-hander Ben Brutti, who drew the start on his 21st birthday, immediately ran into trouble as a single and walk put two on and no outs for Clearwater in the first. However, the right-hander retired the next three to end the inning. In the second, he worked around two walks to throw another scoreless frame.

After Brutti spun a 1-2-3 third, Daytona went back to work against Russo in the fourth. Trey Faltine singled and Esmith Pineda walked to begin the inning before Russo retired the next two. However, Confidan connected for his first big fly, a three-run shot to right-center that extended the Tortugas’ lead to 4-0.

Clearwater, though, broke through in the bottom of the fourth. Two singles and a hit batter loaded the bases with no outs, chasing Brutti. Cody Adcock came on and struck out the next two hitters, but the third out proved elusive as a walk, hit batter, and another walk forced home three runs before the inning finally ended, with the lead down to 4-3.

Daytona loaded the bases against Jonathan Petit in the fifth before Faltine brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to restore the advantage to two runs. However, a two-run double by Dakota Kotowski tied the game for Clearwater.

The Tortugas, though, answered in a big way against Chase Hopewell in the sixth. After Yassel Pino doubled with one out, Confidan lined his second home run of the night, putting another one on the right-field berm. Pitelli stepped up and connected on a 3-1 delivery from Hopewell, sending a…