Mussels fall to Threshers 4-2
CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels dropped their second consecutive game against the Clearwater Threshers Thursday night at BayCare Ballpark, falling by a 4-2 score.
The loss marked the first time Fort Myers (44-32, 7-4) has fallen in back-to-back games in the second half of the season.
For the third time in as many games, Clearwater (46-32, 6-6) opened the scoring. This time it was a two out double from Nathan Humphreys that put the Threshers on the board in the bottom of the first.
With two outs and a runner at third in the top of the third inning, the Mussels’ Irvin Nunez looped a run-scoring single into center field to tie the game.
Mussels’ starter Jason Reitz (0-1) allowed the first three Threshers to reach in the bottom of the third. A two-run double from Humphreys gave Clearwater a 3-1 lead.
Reitz would go on to throw a season high 76 pitches across 3.2 innings of work. He gave up three runs on six hits and struck out four.
Jonathan Stevens recorded the final out in the fourth inning by inducing a ground out from Juan Villavicencio.
Stevens faced the minimum in the fifth inning, aided by a caught stealing from Nunez.
The Mussel offense was kept in check by Threshers’ starter Brad Pacheco (4-4). The righty spun five strong innings, allowing an unearned run on just one hit while striking out seven.
Facing reliever Tyler Bowen in the sixth, JP Smith II popped an opposite field homer onto the right field berm to cut the deficit in half and move the score to 3-2. It was his 10th homer of the season and tied him with Quentin Young and Jayson Bass for the team lead.
Clearwater got the run right back in the bottom of the frame on a solo shot from TJayy Walton off of Stevens.
Nick McAuliffe came on in the seventh inning and worked two scoreless frames.
Outfielders Jayson Bass (15 games) and Merphy Hernandez (12 games) both saw their on-base streaks come to a close. Hernandez also wrapped a streak of nine consecutive games with a run scored.
The series continues today, July 3. Merit Jones (4.43) starts for the Mussels, opposite Ryan Degges (Rehab, High-A) who takes the mound for the Threshers. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. with coverage beginning at 6:15 p.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.