Jupiter Hammerheads Sweep Daytona Tortugas, Advance to FSL Championship Series

The Jupiter Hammerheads needed just two games to end the Daytona Tortugas' season.

In Game 2 of the Florida State League East Division Series on September 10 at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, the Hammerheads launched five home runs and routed Daytona 13-2, completing a sweep of the best-of-three series. Jupiter will now face the Tampa Tarpons in the FSL championship.

The Tortugas held a 1-0 lead after Arnaldo Lantigua's solo shot in the first, but Jupiter took control in the third. Echedry Vargas crushed his second home run in as many games — a two-run shot — to put the Hammerheads ahead for good. A fourth-inning home run by Eric Guevara and a two-run double by Carlos Sanchez pushed the lead to 5-1.

Daytona pulled within 5-2 on an Adolfo Sanchez double in the fifth, but Jupiter put it away with two runs in the sixth and a six-run seventh. Andres Valor drove in a game-best five RBIs and hit two of those home runs. Jacob Lombard went deep for the second straight game. The five home runs tied the most Daytona had surrendered all year, and Jupiter outhit the Tortugas 12-7.

Starter Manuel Genao earned the win with five strong innings — four hits, two runs, plenty of strikeouts. Three Hammerheads pitchers combined for 14 punchouts on the night.

For Daytona, it was a bitter end to a remarkable turnaround. The Tortugas struggled to a league-worst 21-45 first half before going 37-28 to claim the division title in the second.

It was their third straight postseason appearance and fifth since the franchise rebranded as the Tortugas in 2015.