DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Daytona Tortugas were held to one run and went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position as the Jupiter Hammerheads pulled away for a 6-1 victory Tuesday night in Game One of the Florida State League East Division Series at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
After a two-hour, 56-minute delay, first pitch was pushed back to 9:31 p.m. Per MLB rules, games beginning after 9 p.m. are automatically scheduled for seven innings.
The Rundown
Jupiter struck first against Ethan Norby in the second. Eric Guevara doubled down the right-field line and moved to third on a groundout before Andres Valor singled to left-center, giving the Hammerheads a 1-0 lead.
Daytona immediately answered in the bottom half. Mulivai Levu singled to right and Rafhlmil Torres followed with a single to center. Jirvin Morillo then reached on a fielder’s choice as an errant throw from first baseman Echedry Vargas allowed Levu to score and tie the game at 1-1.
Norby held Jupiter to one run on three hits over a career-high 3.0 innings, surpassing his previous high of 2.0 innings against St. Lucie on Aug. 30.
Iker Redona took over in the fourth and Jacob Lombard immediately put Jupiter back in front, launching a solo homer to right on an 0-1 pitch.
The Hammerheads broke the game open one inning later. Valor walked, Carlos Sanchez singled and Vargas drove in Valor with a single to right. Wessley Roberson followed with a single to load the bases, ending Redona’s night.
Dusty Revis entered with the bases loaded and struck out Lombard, but Josh Hogue drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Sanchez before Luis Arana was hit by a pitch, bringing home Vargas and extending Jupiter’s lead to 5-1.
Daytona had a chance to respond in the bottom of the fifth. Morillo walked, but Adolfo Sanchez grounded into a double play. Steele Hall then walked and Jalen Hairston ripped a ground-rule double to right, putting two runners in scoring position. Samuel Carpio entered and induced a groundout from Ichiro Cano to strand both runners.
Vargas added the final run in the sixth with a solo homer to left off Revis.
The Tortugas continued to put runners aboard late but could not cash in. Arnaldo Lantigua doubled to open the sixth and was stranded, while Morillo and Hall singled in the seventh before Jupiter again escaped without allowing a run.
Daytona finished with seven hits, including two from Levu, but went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and grounded into two double plays.
Notes
**• Daytona is now **8-13 all-time in playoff games.
• Jupiter improved to 16-9 against Daytona in 2026.
• The Tortugas went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and grounded into two double plays.
• Ethan Norby worked a career-high 3.0 innings, topping his previous high of 2.0 innings against St. Lucie on Aug. 30.
• First pitch came at 9:31 p.m. following a two-hour, 56-minute delay. Per MLB rules, games beginning after 9 p.m. are automatically scheduled for seven innings.
• Jupiter leads the best-of-three East Division Series 1-0.
**Up Next
**The series shifts to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 10 for Game Two, with Game Three to follow on Friday, if necessary. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET. Daytona must win both remaining games to advance. One more loss will end the Tortugas’ season.