The St. Lucie Mets and Daytona Tortugas split a Saturday doubleheader at Clover Park, with the Mets taking the opener 3-1 before Daytona answered with a 15-7 victory in Game 2.

The split left the seven-game series tied 3-3 heading into Sunday’s finale. It was also the second time the teams split a doubleheader during the series after each club won once during Wednesday’s twin bill.

Zayas delivers another go-ahead home run

Julio Zayas provided the biggest swing for St. Lucie in Game 1, hitting a go-ahead three-run home run in the fourth inning to erase a 1-0 Daytona lead.

The homer came one night after Zayas hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday. Saturday’s blast was his third home run of the series.

St. Lucie’s pitching staff made the lead hold up.

Starter Nate Hall worked the first 1 2/3 innings before Caden Wooster took over. Wooster allowed Daytona’s only run when Arnaldo Lantigua hit a solo home run in the third inning.

Ernesto Mercedes followed with two scoreless innings, allowing four hits while striking out three to earn the win.

Miguel Mijias recorded the final five outs for his fourth save of the season, including a perfect seventh inning to close the game.

The Mets held Daytona to 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 Tortugas runners.

The performance continued a sharp turnaround for St. Lucie’s pitching staff. From the ninth inning of Thursday’s game through the end of Saturday’s opener, the Mets allowed only one run after Daytona had scored 17 runs over the first eight innings Thursday.

Daytona starter Dusty Revis was charged with the loss despite throwing a six-inning complete game on just 63 pitches. Revis allowed five hits and three earned runs while becoming the first Tortugas pitcher since 2019 to record a complete game.

Elian Peña went 1-for-3 for St. Lucie and extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Daytona pulls away in Game 2

The nightcap was a much different game, with Daytona breaking a 6-6 tie during a decisive fifth inning.

Mets newcomer Wilmer Lugo appeared to escape the inning by striking out Henry Hunter looking on a 3-2 pitch. Hunter challenged the call using the ABS system, however, and the ruling was overturned to ball four, loading the bases.

Lugo then walked the next two hitters to force home a pair of runs. After Luis Sotillo entered in relief, a wild pitch allowed Hunter to score and stretched Daytona’s lead to 9-6.

Hunter delivered another major blow in the seventh inning, hitting a grand slam off Sotillo to push the Tortugas ahead 13-6.

For the second time in four games, the Mets eventually turned to Zayas to finish the game on the mound as a position player. He recorded the final four outs, allowing a two-run homer to Drew Davies with two outs in the seventh but no additional damage.

Logan Tanner earned the win for Daytona after throwing two scoreless innings of relief.

St. Lucie still produced several offensive highlights in the loss.

Simon Juan went 2-for-3 with a double and his ninth home run of the season.

Kuhio Aloy, the Mets’ 11th-round draft pick, hit a two-run homer in the third inning to tie the game at 6-6. It was Aloy’s first professional home run.

Lugo took the loss after being charged with three runs on one hit and four walks over 2/3 of an inning.

Series finale set for Sunday

The Mets fell to 16-24 in the second half and 49-57 overall, while Daytona improved to 25-14 in the second half and 46-60 overall.

St. Lucie and Daytona will decide the series Sunday at Clover Park, with first pitch scheduled for 12:10 p.m.

Sunday is Little League Day. Little leaguers who attend wearing their team jerseys will receive free admission courtesy of Holiday Inn Express.