The St. Lucie Mets split a doubleheader with the Daytona Tortugas at Clover Park on Wednesday night, dropping the opener 8-4 before rallying for a dramatic 11-10 victory in 10 innings in Game 2.
John Smith III ended the nearly six-hour twin bill with a two-run, walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th. The victory kept St. Lucie from being swept in a doubleheader for the fourth time this season and snapped Daytona’s season-high seven-game winning streak.
The doubleheader was scheduled to make up a June 20 rainout between the teams.
Daytona took a 10-9 lead in the top of the 10th inning of Game 2 when Rafhlmil Torres delivered a two-out RBI single. Mets reliever Tyler McLoughlin prevented any further damage, giving St. Lucie a chance to answer in the bottom half.
Vladi Gomez opened the inning with a bunt single, putting runners at the corners. After a strikeout, the Tortugas intentionally walked Elian Peña to load the bases. Smith then lined a two-strike pitch into right field, scoring Wyatt Vincent and Gomez to give the Mets the win.
St. Lucie had already erased a three-run deficit in the seventh inning. The Mets trailed 6-3 with two outs and the bases loaded when Gomez doubled into left field. Bernard Moon overran the ball, allowing a third run to score and tying the game 6-6.
Both teams scored their automatic runner in the eighth. Drew Davies drew a bases-loaded walk from Ernesto Mercedes to put Daytona ahead 7-6, but Jesus Colina threw a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the inning, allowing Kooper Schulte to score from third and tie the game again.
The teams traded two-run home runs in the ninth. Dylan King homered off Mercedes to give the Tortugas a 9-7 lead, but Julio Zayas answered with a leadoff, two-run homer against Colina in the bottom half to make it 9-9.
Gomez finished Game 2 4-for-5 with three doubles, two RBIs and two runs. Smith went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs. Zayas was 3-for-4 with a home run, two singles, a walk, two RBIs and two runs.
Daytona controlled Game 1 from the start. Tortugas starter Aaron Watson, the Cincinnati Reds’ No. 5 prospect, made his Single-A debut and held the Mets to two runs over five innings.
The Mets collected eight hits against Watson but stranded seven runners. Watson escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third by retiring Ryan Stallman, then induced Aiden Robbins into an inning-ending double play with runners at the corners in the fourth.
The Tortugas scored twice in the first inning after Arnaldo Lantigua singled and the Mets committed two throwing errors on the play. Daytona broke the game open with four runs in the fourth. Adolfo Sanchez hit a solo home run, two more runs scored on a throwing error by Peña at shortstop and Davies added an RBI double off Conner Ware to make it 6-1.
Daytona scored its final two runs against Caden Wooster on a wild pitch and a solo home run by Lantigua.
The Mets finished with 10 hits in the loss. Peña went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, while Robbins and Bohan Adderley each went 2-for-4. Kuhio Aloy, an 11th-round pick out of Arkansas, recorded the first hit of his professional career with a fifth-inning single and also drew a walk.
Will Watson made a rehab start for St. Lucie and pitched the first inning. He was charged with two unearned runs and took the loss.
The Mets moved to 14-22 in the second half and 47-55 overall. The Tortugas are 23-13 in the second half and 44-58 overall.
St. Lucie and Daytona are scheduled to play a single nine-inning game Thursday at Clover Park. First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. The promotion is $2 Night, with select beer, hot dogs, fountain soda and popcorn available for $2.