JUPITER, FL – The Jupiter Hammerheads (5-11, 42-40) dropped the series opener to the St. Lucie Mets (3-10, 36-43) by a final score of 11-2 on Tuesday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
In the top of the first inning, St. Lucie immediately jumped out to a lead when Antonio Jimenez hit the first pitch of the game over the left field wall. The Mets loaded the bases against Jupiter starting pitcher Jonas Uzcatgui (L, 0-2), who issued an RBI walk to Chase Meggers which put St. Lucie ahead 2-0. The Mets added one more run in the top of the second inning when Jimenez hit a one-out double, stole third base and scored on a sacrifice fly to put St. Lucie ahead 3-0.
Jupiter started a rally in the bottom of the second inning when Victor Ortega and Andres Valor drew walks. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by PJ Morlando and Ortega scored on a wild pitch by St. Lucie starting pitcher Jose Lopez, who made his Single-A debut, to cut the Mets’ lead to 3-1.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Hammerheads chipped away at the deficit. Echedry Vargas led off with a double and Ortega drew his second walk. Valor grounded out to move runners to second and third base. Morlando just missed a home run as he drove in Vargas on a sacrifice fly to make it a 3-2 game after four innings.
Gerinton Mendez came in relief of Uzcategui and tossed three scoreless innings in relief to keep the Hammerheads within striking distance. However, the Mets extended their lead in the top of the sixth inning against new Jupiter relief pitcher Engel Peralta. After two quick outs, St. Lucie sent nine men to the plate and scored four runs on just two hits. De Oleo drove in one run on a sacrifice fly and AJ Salgado hit a two-RBI single and the Mets took a 7-2 lead.
In the top of the eighth inning, the Mets added two more runs off Franklyn Moreta. AJ Salgado sent one run home when he reached on an error and Julio Zayas scored on a wild pitch which gave St. Lucie a 9-2 lead. St. Lucie added two more runs with two outs in the top of the ninth inning and took an 11-2 lead. The Hammerheads finished with just two hits and could not score in the late innings which ultimately led to the 11-2 loss on Tuesday night.
Vargas finished 2-for-4 with a double and run scored which were the only two Jupiter hits.
Jupiter continues its series against St. Lucie with game two on Wednesday, July 8th with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the final series before the All-Star break. Click here to purchase your Jupiter Hammerheads tickets.
Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium is “America’s Busiest Ballpark” as the only home of two full season minor league affiliates. Enjoy the best entertainment membership packages in Palm Beach County with our staple programs like “Rockwell Hearing Center Silver Sluggers” every Wednesday for all fans 55 and up, “Thirsty Thursdays” every Thursday for all fans 21 and up, and “Code Ninjas Kids Club” every Saturday for all fans 15 and under.
New to 2026, fans can purchase tickets to the Jupiter Medical Center Champions Club down the left field line for an elevated baseball experience. Returning for 2026, every Tuesday game is a “2-for-1 Tuesday” where fans get two reserved box tickets for the price of one ($15) and every Sunday game is a “$10 Sunday” where all tickets are just 10 dollars. For more information on tickets, schedules, promotions, and more, call the ticket office at 561-630-1828 or visit the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium website.
About Jupiter Stadium, LTD:
Opening in 1998, the 110-acre complex/stadium is specially designed to house two Major League and two Minor League Baseball Teams. The stadium is home to the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals for Spring Training. The Florida State League’s Jupiter Hammerheads (Class A Affiliate of the Miami Marlins) and Palm Beach Cardinals (Class A Affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals) make their home at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium from April through September. Branded as “America’s Busiest Ballpark,” this year-round facility can accommodate everything from birthday parties to corporate outings to tournaments, while never forgetting that every fan is our most important priority.