Mighty Mussels drop five straight, headed to Jupeter Tuesday
Fort Myers falls 7-4 in series finale against Dunedin
FORT MYERS – The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels fell in the series finale to the Dunedin Blue Jays 7-4 Sunday at Hammond Stadium.
After taking the first game of the series in walk-off fashion on Tuesday, the Mussels (15-18) have dropped five straight games, marking the longest losing streak of the 2025 season. The Blue Jays (20-13) are the first team in the FSL to reach 20 wins.
For just the second time this series, Fort Myers tallied a run before Dunedin. Maddux Houghton, who came on to replace an injured Byron Chourio in the bottom of the first, singled after inheriting a 2-2 count.
Houghton would take second on a passed ball. Two batters later, Jay Thomason flared an RBI single to left to give the Mussels an early 1-0 lead.
One inning later, Angel Del Rosario doubled down the left field line, scoring Jefferson Valladares and making it 2-0 Fort Myers.
The Mussels would again add to their lead in the fourth inning. Yohander Martinez led off the frame with a single and advanced to second on an error. Valladares then reached on a fielder’s choice, moving Martinez to third.
Two batters later, Houghton legged out an infield single, driving in Martinez to extend the Fort Myers lead to 3-0.
Mussels’ starter Eli Jones worked 4.1 scoreless innings before allowing a solo homer to Dunedin right fielder Jean Joseph in the top of the fifth. That was the only run that Jones surrendered, as he tossed five innings and gave up three hits, while striking out three.
Devin Kirby (2-1) was first out of the Fort Myers bullpen in the sixth inning. Kirby was charged with four runs on four hits after exiting after 0.1 inning. Dunedin took a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth, as Ivran Romero got the final two outs of the frame.
Romero finished the day with 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out three.
After two quick outs in the bottom of the seventh, Fort Myers got a single from Thomason and double from Jose Rodriguez, putting runners at second and third. Thomason then scored on a wild pitch by Dunedin’s Austin Cates (S1), cutting the deficit to 5-4.
Dunedin responded with two runs in the ninth inning off reliever Tyler Stasiowski, bringing their lead to 7-4.
After an off day today, Fort Myers will travel to Jupiter to take on the Hammerheads on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. The next broadcast on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network will be on May 22 in Lakeland, due to the Florida High School Baseball State Tournament being hosted at Hammond Stadium over parts of the next two weeks.
Fort Myers blanked by Dunedin 3-0
FORT MYERS – For the first time this season, the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels were shut out, falling to the Dunedin Blue Jays 3-0 Saturday night at Hammond Stadium.
The Mussels (15-17) fell behind in the first inning for the third straight contest. Dunedin (19-13) leadoff batter Manuel Beltre was walked by Fort Myers’ starter Dylan Questad (1-1) to begin the game. After stealing second, Beltre scored on a single by Blue Jay left fielder Devonte Brown to give Dunedin a 1-0 lead.
Questad worked around traffic in each of the next three innings, but ran into more trouble in the fifth. Dunedin got back-to-back singles from Jacob Lojewski and Beltre before Brown came through again. It was a two-run double for Brown this time, as he picked up his second and third runs batted in of the day to make it 3-0.
Questad finished the night tossing five complete innings, having allowed three runs on seven hits. The righty issued a pair of walks and struck out two batters.
Dunedin starter Gilberto Batista (2-1) held the Mussels to just four hits across five scoreless innings, issuing one walk, while striking out a season high nine batters.
Hunter Hoopes was first out of the Fort Myers bullpen in the sixth inning and faced the minimum in the frame.
One inning later, Hoopes struck out the first two batters before allowing three straight Blue Jays to reach and load the bases. Hoopes escaped the jam after getting Triple-A rehabber Phil Clarke to line out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth with two outs and the bases empty, Miguel Briceno and Yasser Mercedes both singled to put two men on against Dunedin lefty Johan Simon. Jay Thomason then drew a walk to load the bases. The side was retired a batter later as Jefferson Valladares grounded out to second.
Ruddy Gomez was added to the roster on Saturday and made his FSL debut, in the eighth inning. Gomez fired two scoreless frames, allowing just one hit.
Fort Myers has now lost a season high four games in a row.
Mighty Mussels drop third straight, 9-1, to Blue Jays
FORT MYERS – The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels lost 9-1 to the Dunedin Blue Jays Friday night at Hammond Stadium.
Fort Myers (15-16) has now lost three consecutive games for the first time this season. The Mussels saw their record dip below .500 for the first time since they were 6-7 on April 18.
Leading off the game, Bryce Arnold singled up the middle to open the contest for Dunedin (18-13). Shortstop Manuel Beltre followed with a walk to put two aboard. After a double steal, a balk from Mussels starter Michael Carpenter (0-1) opened the scoring as Arnold crossed the plate. Edward Duran then drove in the second Blue Jay run on a single up the middle, making it 2-0. Carpenter did not escape the first as he picked up a pair of strikeouts but exited the game after throwing 35 pitches to the first seven batters he faced. Jacob Kisting entered and recorded the final out of the frame.
In the second, Peyton Powell led off with a single to left. Arnold followed with a hit of his own to put Powell into scoring position. A groundout advanced him to third and he then scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.
The next inning, Kendry Chirions led off with another single. A groundout advanced Chirinos to second and FGCU alum Jacob Lojewski drove him in on a single up the middle to make it 4-0.
In the bottom of the third, Dameury Pena got Fort Myers on the board as he snuck a double down the left field line, plating Angel Del Rosario, who had reached on a fielder’s choice earlier in the frame.
Kisting threw a season high 4.1 innings, as he allowed two runs on four hits.
Dunedin starter, Khal Steven (3-0), Toronto’s No. 10 prospect, threw 5.2 innings of one run ball. The righty allowed one run on three hits while striking out six without issuing a walk. He threw a season high 82 pitches and has now tossed five innings or more in six of his seven outings.
Dunedin added another three runs in the sixth, as the Blue Jays rattled five hits off of Ivran Romero, extending their lead 7-1.