Fedko, Adams lead Mussels over Threshers Sunday

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Kyler Fedko and Travis Adams led the Mighty Mussels a 6-3 win over the Clearwater Threshers Sunday, helping Fort Myers complete the sweep of the season-opening series at BayCare Ballpark.

Fedko reached base three times and delivered a two-out, bases-clearing triple off the wall in right-center to extend the Mussels’ (3-0) lead to 6-2 in the seventh.

That was all the cushion Fort Myers needed, as pitchers Jackson Hicks and Juan Mendez put up zeroes in the eighth and ninth respectively.

Mussels’ starter Travis Adams (1-0) allowed just one run on three hits over five terrific innings in his Low-A debut. Adams’ hardest pitch (94.1 mph) came in his final inning of work, throwing harder as the afternoon progressed.

Fort Myers opened the scoring against Threshers’ (0-3) starter Gunner Mayer (0-1) in the second. After Dillon Tatum pulled a double to left, Noah Cardenas crushed a two-run home run on the first pitch he saw this season.

Still leading 2-0 in the top of the fourth, Fedko doubled to left before Dylan Neuse lined a single to right to extend the lead to 3-0.

Clearwater crept back into the game with runs in the fifth and sixth before Fedko’s triple sealed the deal.

The Mussels will enjoy an off-day on today before opening Hammond Stadium with a 7 p.m. first pitch against the Jupiter Hammerheads on Tuesday. Marco Raya is set to make his pro debut for Fort Myers. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.

Festa deals, challenge system aids mussels in 4-2 win

CLEARWATER, Fla. – David Festa tossed five scoreless innings and the ABS “Challenge System” benefitted Fort Myers Saturday in a 4-2 win over the Clearwater Threshers at BayCare Ballpark.

Festa (1-0) went just one batter over the minimum, striking out five without walking a single batter. His fastball averaged 94.6 mph while throwing 48 of his 60 pitches for strikes.

In 2022, the Florida State League is debuting a “challenge system,” in which players can immediately challenge ball and strike calls. Umpires will then defer to the Automated Ball Strike System to determine the call.

With Fort Myers (2-0) leading 3-2 in the eighth inning, the Mussels loaded the bases with two outs. In a 3-2 count, Kala’i Rosario challenged a strikeout call, which appeared to have ended the inning. The ABS system reversed the call to ball four, allowing an insurance run to score and make it 4-2.

Clearwater (0-2) got back-to-back singles to start the bottom of the ninth, but Mussels reliever Mike Paredes retired the next three batters to seal a series win for Fort Myers.

Fort the second straight night, the Mighty Mussels got out to a healthy lead. Already up 1-0 in the top of the fifth, Emmanuel Rodriguez swatted a two-run home run to right, his first Low-A homer. The ball left the bat at 101 mph and traveled upward at a staggering 45-degree angle.

Stankiewicz, Cavaco lead Mussels to 6-5 Opening Night win in Clearwater

CLEARWATER, Fla. – John Stankiewicz struck out a career-high eight and Keoni Cavaco notched three hits and three RBI to lead the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels to a 6-5 Opening Night win over the Clearwater Threshers at BayCare Ballpark.

Cavaco and fellow first-round pick Noah Miller each stroked three hits in their season debuts, with Cavaco providing the biggest swing of the night. In a scoreless game in the top of the third, Cavaco drilled a bases-clearing double off the wall in right center to put Fort Myers (1-0) up 3-0.

Stankiewicz (1-0) completed five strong innings to earn the win, retiring seven of the final eight batters he faced.

The Mussels (1-0) continued to build their lead in the middle innings, getting an RBI single from Kyle Schmidt in the fourth to stretch the lead to 4-2.

Leading by the same margin in the fifth, Cavaco reached on an infield single before Kala’i Rosario drilled an RBI triple to the fence to extend the lead to 6-2.

Clearwater (0-1) battled back, getting a solo home run from Jadiel Sanchez in the sixth to make it 6-3.

In the bottom of the seventh, Threshers designated hitter Felix Reyes led off with a triple to the wall before Marcus Lee Sang drove him in with an RBI single to left. Two batters later, Yhoswar Garcia plated Lee Sang with a fielder’s choice to cap the scoring at 6-5.

Mussels reliever Matthew Swain did the rest, fanning three over two hitless innings to secure his first save of the season.