DAYTONA BEACH — For the first time in three years, the St. Lucie Mets are headed to the Florida State League postseason.
The Mets are playoffs bound following a 7-5 victory over the Daytona Tortugas on Sunday from Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Coupled with the Palm Beach Cardinals, St. Lucie’s closest competition, losing to the Lakeland Flying Tigers, the Mets are the East division first-half champions and will be one of four teams playing for the league championship.
St. Lucie last won the first-half division title in 2022, when the team captured its sixth league title in franchise history.
Trailing 4-3 after the Tortugas scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning, the visiting Mets took the lead for good in the top of fourth. They tied the game 4-4 on an RBI fielder’s choice from Trey Snyder before taking a 5-4 advantage on a Jeremy Rodriguez RBI single to right field. Snyder later reached home plate when Trace Willhoite was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
St. Lucie extended its lead in the sixth after Colin Houck blasted a solo home run over the left-field wall to make it 7-4. It was his eighth home run this season.
Ryan McCrystal got a run back for Daytona with an RBI single in the eighth. The home team filled the bags later in the frame, but Brett Banks got out of the jam after inducing a fly out to end the threat.
Banks retired the side in order to record the save and clinch the division.
Entering in the third, Cristofer Gomez earned the victory after he allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks through 1 1/3 innings. Wellington Aracena had the longest stint on the mound for the visitors, relinquishing an earned run on two hits and a walk with four strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings of relief.
Houck, Snyder and Kevin Villavicencio each had two hits.
The Mets won the series 4-2 and have a 12-5 mark against Daytona this season.
St. Lucie improved its record to 34-28, five games clear of the Cardinals (29-33). The two teams are set to play a six-game series, beginning at 6:10 p.m. Tuesday from Clover Park.
Information regarding dates and tickets for September playoff games will be announced later this summer. Visit stluciemets.com for more information.
Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for Treasure Coast Newspapers. He can be reached at 772-985-9692, on X at @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: St. Lucie Mets seal playoff spot with FSL East Division first-half title