Beltre's Walk-Off Home Run Lifts Mighty Mussels over Flying Tigers in Extras
FSL Fort Myers Mighty Mussels

Beltre's Walk-Off Home Run Lifts Mighty Mussels over Flying Tigers in Extras

Published on April 15, 2026 under Florida State League (FSL)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels News Release


FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels came back to defeat the Lakeland Flying Tigers 4-3 in extra innings on Wednesday night, capped by Eduardo Beltre's walk-off two-run home run in the tenth.

Tied at two in the top of the tenth inning, Lakeland (8-3) manufactured the go-ahead run without recording a hit. Javier Osorio moved the ghost runner, Nolan McCarthy, over to third on a groundout. Detroit Tigers No. 3 prospect Bryce Rainer drove McCarthy in on a sacrifice fly, making it 3-2.

Eduardo Beltre led off the bottom of the tenth inning by taking three consecutive pitches from Pedro Garcia (1-1) out of the zone. The Mussels' (7-4) left fielder blasted a walk-off home-run to left field, giving Fort Myers its first walk-off win of the season and evening the series at a game apiece. The blast left the bat at 106.6 mph.

Fort Myers sent Minnesota Twins' No. 16 prospect James Ellwanger to the hill for this third start of the season, and he continued to impress. Ellwanger tossed 4.2 no-hit innings, striking out three Flying Tigers while topping out at 97.4 mph on the fastball.

MLB rehabber Travis Adams worked a 1-2-3 top of the sixth inning, striking out one on sixteen pitches. Adams topped out at 94.9 mph on his fastball in his first rehab outing with Fort Myers.

Offensively, the Mussels would have at least one hit in every inning until the bottom of the sixth inning. In that frame, Yasser Mercedes led off the inning with a walk against lefty Ben Jacobs.

Following the free pass, Mercedes, who set a Mussels-era record with 34 stolen bases in 2025, swiped second for his first theft of the season. JP Smith II moved him over on a flyout, then a wild pitch by Jacobs allowed Mercedes to come in for the first run of the game.

Looking for a shutdown inning, manager Jordan Smith turned to Mitch Mueller in the seventh inning. Mueller gave up a one-out single, then two batters later, Zach MacDonald hit a home run that travelled 409 feet and came off the bat at 113.5 mph. The home run gave the Flying Tigers a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Fort Myers loaded up the bases against the Lakeland bullpen with hits from Mercedes and Smith, followed by a walk from Jayson Bass.

The Mussels tied the game on an RBI walk from Ian Daugherty. Yilber Herrera struck out looking to end the rally, sending the game to the ninth in a 2-2 tie.

Brian Zeldin (1-0) worked the final 2.1 innings in relief. Zeldin got a key strikeout to end the ninth with the go-ahead run at third.

In the bottom of the ninth, Jorel Ortega and Dameury Pena led off the inning with a walk and single respectively, but the subsequent three hitters failed to move either runner over.

Fort Myers and Lakeland would enter extra innings tied at two. Lakeland plated a run in the top of the tenth, setting the table for Beltre in the bottom of the frame.

The series continues on Thursday, April 16. Merit Jones (0-0, 3.52) starts for the Mussels, opposite Malachi Witherspoon (0-0, 2.25) who starts for Lakeland. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. with coverage beginning at 6:40 p.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.

Check out the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels Statistics

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Florida State League Stories from April 15, 2026


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