Fort Myers tops Daytona in series opener, wins sixth straight game
DAYTONA, Fla. – The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels won their sixth consecutive game and survived a high scoring game over the Daytona Tortugas Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
After taking five in a row last week against the Dunedin Blue Jays, highlighted by the franchise’s sixth no-hitter on Sunday, the Mussels (15-7) knocked off the Tortugas (6-16) by an 11-10 final.
First baseman JP Smith II went 2-for-5, homered and drove in three, while Yasser Mercedes drove in two. Harry Genth added three runs scored, walking three times in the nine spot.
Minnesota Twins No. 30 prospect Bruin Agbayani was activated off the IL prior to the series opener and wasted little time in his season debut. With a runner on in the third inning, Agbayani connected on a double to left to make it 1-0 Mussels .
Daytona tied the game in the bottom of the frame on a balk from Kolten Smith.
K. Smith ended up striking out six Tortugas across three innings of one run ball.
The Mussel offense jumped right back in front in the fourth and never pumped the breaks. Leading off the inning, a solo home run from Smith II put Fort Myers ahead 2-1. Later in the inning, Ryan Sprock connected on a base hit to right, plating Quentin Young and making it 3-1. A pair of Daytona wild pitches extended the Mussel lead, and Mercedes doubled to center to bring in another pair of runs, making it 7-1.
Fort Myers batted around in the frame, sending 12 men to the plate, and Smith II singled in his second at bat of the inning to make it 8-1.
The offense wasted no time adding to its lead. Jayson Bass led off the fifth with a hit-by-pitch, making it that all nine starters had reached base safely. Two batters later, Damuery Pena recorded a sacrifice fly, making it 9-1. Later in the frame, Smith II recorded his third RBI of the night, this time on a bases loaded walk, to get the Mussels into double digits.
Daytona fought back in the bottom of the inning as the Tortugas plated eight runs, highlighted by home runs from Jacob Friend and Bernard Moon, making the game 10-9.
Due to a pair of errors, only two of the seven runs allowed by Matthew DesMerets were earned in his 1.2 innings of work.
Young led off the sixth with a walk, and Bass brought him home on a double, moving the score to 11-9.
Brian Zeldin (2-1) and Michael Hilker Jr. combined to work 3.1 innings without allowing an earned run.
Mike McKenna (S1) worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth by striking out two, securing the save.
The series continues today, April 29. Eric Hammond (0-0, 3.38) starts for the Mussels. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.