DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Interstat) — The Tampa Tarpons and Daytona Tortugas open a pivotal doubleheader Saturday evening at Jackie Robinson Ballpark, with first pitch of Game 1 scheduled after a blistering series that saw Tampa dominate a day earlier.

The Tarpons (24-25) arrive riding momentum from Friday’s 7-1 victory, their second win in the past three meetings against the last-place Tortugas (16-34). Tampa has taken three of the first four games of this six-game road set, including an 8-7 decision Wednesday. Daytona’s only win in that span came Tuesday, a 12-9 slugfest.

Right-hander Mac Heuer is expected to start for Tampa, coming off a sharp outing Friday against the same Tortugas lineup. Heuer pitched five innings, allowing three hits and no earned runs while striking out seven in that 7-1 win. Over his last four appearances, Heuer has a 3-1 record with a 2.88 ERA, striking out 13 over 10 1/3 innings. He last took a loss on May 15 against Dunedin.

Daytona counters with righty Lisnerkin Lantigua, who took the loss in Friday’s game after allowing one earned run on one hit over 2 2/3 innings. Lantigua has struggled to find consistency, posting a 4.76 ERA over his last four outings with only eight strikeouts in 11 innings. He has not earned a victory since May 21 at Jupiter.

The Tortugas have lost five of their last six games and own the worst record in the Florida State League. Tampa, meanwhile, has won five of its last seven and looks to build on a season that has been defined by stretches of strong pitching and timely hitting.

The doubleheader marks the final two games of the six-game series before both teams hit the road Tuesday. Tampa returns home for a six-game homestand against Palm Beach, while Daytona travels to Dunedin for a six-game set.

Saturday’s Game 1 offers the Tarpons a chance to further bury the last-place Tortugas, but Daytona will look to salvage a split behind Lantigua’s effort to regain his early-season form.