Tortugas Trounce Manatees Before All-Star Break

Malik Collymore

The Daytona Tortugas went into the All-Star break on a high note Thursday, getting six no-hit innings from starter Tejay Antone and scoring eight runs in the eighth inning, leading the home team to an 11-6 victory at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

The Tortugas (34-32) picked up their fifth consecutive victory, jumping out to an early lead against Manatees starter Cody Ponce. Blake Butler and Blake Trahan started the first inning with back-to-back singles. Angelo Gumbs singled off the glove of Ponce, with the deflection allowing Trahan to score. Ponce, who continues to work his way back from injury, threw 44 pitches in his three innings of work, allowing the one run on three hits. He walked one and did not strike out a batter.

While Antone continued to baffle the Manatees hitters, the Tortugas added a run in the fourth. Ronald Bueno doubled and went to third on a Garrett Boulware single. An error by catcher Dustin Houle scored Bueno and made it 2-0. The third run of the night came on the sixth on back-to-back doubles by Boulware and Jonathan Reynoso.

Brevard County (23-42) got their first baserunner in the sixth when Houle was hit by a pitch. Antone got through that inning before finally giving up a hit to Angel Ortega to start the seventh. The ball deflected off Antone’s glove. Dustin DeMuth followed that with an RBI triple off the right field wall, making it a 3-1 game. An error on the play by Bueno allowed DeMuth to scamper home and all of a sudden, a no-hit bid was a one-run game in the blink of an eye.

As quickly as the Manatees got back into the game, the Tortugas put any hope of a comeback to rest in the bottom of the eighth. It was a nightmarish inning for Ventura, who had pitched well since relieving Ponce. Gavin LaValley started the eighth with a monster shot over the double-tier signage in right-center, making it 4-2. That was just the beginning, as the Tortugas would get a double, single and a walk, spelling the end of Ventura’s night.

Kender Villegas took over and got one out before a passed ball by Houle moved the runners to second and third. Trahan followed with a two-run triple, making it 6-2 and Brian O’Grady’s two run shot made it a six-run difference, 8-2. After an Angelo Gumbs double and another passed ball by Houle, LaValley stepped to the plate and jacked his second home run of the inning. That was the end of the night for Villegas, who left in favor of Zach Hirsch. Villegas allowed four of the eight runs, in a third of an inning. Hirsch did finale record the final out, but at that point, it was all over but the shouting.

When all was said and done, the Tortugas sent 11 men to the plate, hit for the cycle in the inning and smacked three homers in all. Brevard County had to use three pitchers in the frame. A one run game turned into an 11-2 deficit for the Manatees. To their credit, Brevard County did go down swinging in the ninth, scoring four times against Daytona reliever Nick Howard.

Angel Ortega reached on a catcher interference call, but was erased on a fielders’ choice by 

DeMuth. Elvis Rubio walked, putting two runners on and Fidel Pena loaded the bases one out later with a single. Houle followed with a two-run double and after the runners moved up on a wild pitch, Malik Collymore capped the scoring with a two-run double of his own, making it an 11-6 ballgame. Brennan Bernardino was called on out of the bullpen and he got Garcia on strikes, ending the game.

For more info: Brevard County @ Daytona boxscore

It was a big night for the Tortugas, who totaled 14 hits as a team. They went 7-for-15 with runners in scoring position and got multi-hit nights from four guys, with every starter tallying at least one knock. Collymore was the only Brevard County player with a two-hit night.

To say it has been a struggle in the first half for the Manatees would be a huge understatement when you look at the record, but being around these guys on a regular basis, you can see the effort night in and night out. As they showed in this one, they just don’t give up easily. Hopefully the effort will lead to better results in the second half.

The team will start the second half on the road against Dunedin on Monday night, June 20 at 6:30 p.m. They return home Thursday to play the first of three against the Clearwater Threshers, beginning at 6:35 p.m. Daytona welcomes Tampa to the Jack on Monday for a 7:05 p.m. contest.

This article originally appeared on the now defunct Examiner.com on 6/16/16