TAMPA – The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels played an Independence Day game Monday in Tampa, falling to the host Tarpons, 5-1. The Mussels managed just three hits in the game.

Tampa scored two runs in the first, and added single tallies in the fourth, sixth and seventh to secure the win.

Fort Myers’ lone run came on Rubel Cespedes’ second home run of the season in the top of the eighth. The Mussels other two hits were provided by Mikey Perez and Noah Cardenas.

Travis Adams (4-5) took the pitching loss, allowing the two early runs on just three hits in two innings.

The Mussels (43-29) have a day off today and will resume the series with the Tarpons (34-42) Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Sunday’s Mussels-Blue Jays game postponed

FORT MYERS – Sunday’s game between the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels and Dunedin Blue Jays was postponed due to severe weather.

All tickets to Sunday’s game can be redeemed for a ticket to any other Mussels game in 2022.

Sunday’s game will be made up as part of the July 22-24 series at TD Ballpark in Dunedin.

Paredes, Perez pitch mussels to 3-1 win

FORT MYERS – Mike Paredes and Samuel Perez combined to pitch the Mighty Mussels past the Dunedin Blue Jays 3-1 Saturday at Hammond Stadium.

Paredes (4-2) matched a career-high with six innings pitched, scattering seven hits while allowing just one run and fanning seven. He needed just 71 pitches to complete six innings.

Perez came in and tossed 72 percent strikes, allowing just one hit over three scoreless innings. He earned his first save of the season.

Dillon Tatum continued his big week, socking a solo home run over the left-field berm in the fourth inning. The California native is 5-for-13 with three homers and two walks over the last four games.

The Mussels (43-28, 2-5) took the lead in the bottom of the second. With one runner on and two outs, Zach Huffins smoked a double to the left center field gap to make it 1-0.

After the Tatum dinger, Dunedin scratched across a run in the fifth on a Jose Ferrer double.

Leading 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Noah Cardenas walked before advancing to second on an error. Two batters later, Rubel Cespedes pulled a double over the first base bag to extend the lead to 3-1.

Mussels hit four homers in 8-5 loss to D-Jays

FORT MYERS – The Mighty Mussels showed off their power in a losing effort Friday at Hammond stadium, crushing four home runs in an 8-5 loss to the Dunedin Blue Jays.

After being no-hit through 6.1 innings, Mikey Perez smashed a 1-1 pitch onto the berm in left to give Fort Myers (42-28, 1-5) its first hit and run of the game. The next batter was LaRon Smith, who launched a homer to left center to cut the deficit to 7-2.

In the bottom of the eighth, Mussels infielder Rubel Cespedes led off the inning with a double to the left-center gap. The next batter was Zach Huffins, who destroyed a hanging breaking ball to left for a home run to cut it to 7-4.

In the top of the ninth, Dunedin (33-40, 5-2) outfielder Roque Salinas tripled to right field. The next batter was Amell Brazoban, who flew out to right to make it 8-4.

With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Dillon Tatum smacked a ball over the right field wall to cap the scoring at 8-5.

Dunedin got the scoring going in the third as Dasan Brown singled home Jose Rivas to take the lead 1-0. Rainer Nunez then doubled home Brown and made it 2-0. Adriel Sotolongo followed with a single to extend the lead to 3-0. Brozoban and Juan Gonzalez also drove in runs to put the D-Jays on top 5-0.

The Blue Jays struck again in the sixth when Estivan Machado doubled home Brown. The tacked on another with a sacrifice fly by Sotolongo to make it 7-0.