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FSL Fort Myers Mighty Mussels

Gold Homer Halts Mussels' Comeback in Extras 9-8

July 2, 2023 - Florida State League (FSL)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels News Release


FORT MYERS, Fla. - Luke Gold connected on a pinch-hit two-run home run in the top of the tenth inning Saturday to squash the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels' comeback in a 9-8 Lakeland Flying Tigers win at Hammond Stadium.

Before the tenth, Fort Myers (37-37, 3-5) after falling behind by five. Trailing 7-5 with one out, Carson McCusker corked an opposite-field homer to right to cut the deficit to one run. The blast marked his first in a Mussels uniform, after hitting 17 with Tri-City of the Frontier League earlier this year. Later in the frame, Dylan Neuse drew a walk to place the tying run on base. With two outs, Neuse took off for second and advanced to third on an errant throw by Tigers' (29-44, 3-5) catcher Sergio Tapia. On the same play, the center fielder Seth Stephenson's throw to the infield sailed high which allowed Neuse to score and even the game at 7-7.

After the Gold home run, Rubel Cespedes was placed on second to begin the frame. After two quick outs, Neuse blooped a single into shallow center to make it a one-run ballgame. However, Kamron Willman then popped out to third to end the end the game.

The Tigers got the scoring going when Carlos Pelegrin led off with a triple ahead of a Moises Valero RBI single to give Lakeland a 1-0 lead in the second. After two walks loaded the bases for the Tigers, Alvaro Gonzalez grounded a single to right to score Valero and extended the lead to two runs. On the play, Cristian Santana was thrown out at the plate on a perfect throw from Neuse for the inning's first out. The next hitter was Stephenson, who dropped a bunt single down the third base line to score the run. On the same play, Cespedes made an errant throw that forced in another to make it 4-0. One hitter later, Abel Bastidas dribbled a grounder down the first base line that induced an errant throw to first from Mussels' pitcher Miguelangel Boades (0-2), that scored Stephenson to give the Tigers a five-run advantage.

In the bottom half of the same frame, Kyle Schmidt doubled while Neuse and Maddux Houghton drew walks to load the bases. With two outs in the inning, Ricardo Olivar launched a bases-clearing double that clanked off the glove of Lakeland left fielder Chase Peligrin to bring the score to 5-3.

Still leading by two in the top of the fifth, the Tigers added another run on a lead-off homerun to left by Valero to make it 6-3.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Mussels began to answer back when Luis Baez reached on an infield single to open the frame. The next hitter was Olivar, who slashed a line-drive triple past the diving center fielder Stephenson to score Baez and cut the deficit to 6-4.

The see-saw battle continued when Stephenson was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the sixth. With the hit-and-run in play, Bastidas served a single into left center that scored the run to extend Lakeland's lead to 7-4 before the Mussels would tie the game in the eighth.

Jose Olivares (2-3, 6.60) will take the mound for Fort Myers tomorrow while Lakeland counters with minor-league rehabber Jackson Jobe. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. with coverage beginning at 6:15 p.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.

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