(Photo Credit: www.palmbeachcardinals.com)
The Palm Beach Cardinals took on the Daytona Tortugas in game two of a four-game series at Roger Dean Stadium on Tuesday night, as they were looking for their fourth straight. Starting for the Cardinals was Ian McKinney in his 2016 debut.
And McKinney had a solid season debut, as he pitched six solid innings, giving up three hits, walking three, and striking out six batters. The Cardinals scored first, in the bottom of the first inning. The run scored when, following an Oscar Mercado single, Danny Diekroeger tripled (the first one on the night for the Cardinals), which scored Mercado to make it 1-0.
But Daytona bounced right back in the second inning, as Blake Butler hit an RBI double to tie the game at 1-1.
It remained a 1-1 tie game between the two teams until the fourth inning, when the Cardinals broke the game wide open. It started when Michael Pritchard hit the second triple of the game for Palm Beach. A fielding error by second baseman Ty Washington scored Pritchard to give them the 2-1 lead, a lead they would not give up.
Blake Drake then singled to put runners on first and second, bringing up Mikey Reynolds, who hit the third triple of the night for Palm Beach. The triple scored both of the runners, giving the Cardinals a 4-1 lead, more than enough for McKinney.
After McKinney’s night was done, the bullpen did their best to maintain the lead, but Daytona attempted to make a comeback. In the eighth inning, Rowan Wick on the mound, runners on the corners, and still holding a 4-1 lead, Taylor Sparks struck out, but a Steve Bean throwing error allowed Aristides Aquino to score, making it a 4-2 game.
However, that was as close as the Tortugas would get, as Kevin Herget pitched a perfect ninth inning for his second save of the season, helping the Cardinals improve to 5-1, and maintain their first place lead in the Southern Division.
Both teams will face off in game three on Wednesday night at 6:30, with Jack Flaherty starting for Palm Beach.
