Martinez Lifts Mussels to 5-4 Walk-Off Win over Tortugas

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FSL Fort Myers Mighty Mussels

Martinez Lifts Mussels to 5-4 Walk-Off Win over Tortugas

July 19, 2025 - Florida State League (FSL)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels News Release


Fort Myers, Fla. - Yohander Martinez delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the tenth inning to lift the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels over the Daytona Tortugas 5-4 on Saturday night at Hammond Stadium.

With the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the tenth inning, Bryan Acuna was placed at second as the automatic baserunner. Peyton Carr led off the frame with a 10-pitch walk, before Tortugas' reliever Ben Brutti retired the next two Mussel hitters.

Yohander Martinez then came to the plate, lashed an opposite-field single up the first base line, scoring Acuna and giving the Mussels a 5-4 victory. The walk-off had extra meaning for Martinez, whose daughter Alaïa was celebrating her fourth birthday.

Fort Myers (38-49, 11-12) is now 6-1 in extra inning games and has five walk-off wins on the season. Daytona (41-46, 12-9) is now 0-8 in extra inning contests.

For the second straight night, Fort Myers opened the scoring. Byron Chourio drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first inning, before Twins' No. 15 prospect Rayne Doncon singled in the first at bat of his rehab assignment.

Caleb McNeely was the next man up, grounding into a double play but plated Chourio to give the Mussels an early 1-0 lead.

After leaving five runners on base in the first two innings, Daytona broke through for a pair of runs in the top of the third off Mussels' starter Dasan Hill. Tortugas' center fielder Malvin Valdez gave Daytona a 2-1 lead with a two-run single.

Hill went three complete innings and allowed two runs on three hits. He issued a season-high six walks and struck out two.

Jason Doktorczyk was first arm out of the Mussel bullpen, relieving Hill in the top of the fourth and working a clean inning.

The Tortugas added on in the fifth against Doktorczyk though, as right fielder Esmith Pineda hit a leadoff homer to give Daytona a 3-1 advantage. Shortstop Sammy Stafura then doubled down the right field line, before stealing third and scoring on a sacrifice fly to extend the Tortuga margin to 4-1.

Martinez roped a leadoff double to right-center field in the bottom of the fifth, setting up an RBI single from Jefferson Valladares, bringing the deficit to 4-2.

Doktorczyk finished his relief outing after four innings of work. The righty allowed a pair of runs on five hits and struck out two.

Matt Gabbert entered in the top of the eighth inning and worked around a two-out single to retire the side.

The Mussels fought back in the bottom of the frame, as Acuna drew a walk with one out. Carr then singled to right-center field to put two aboard for Blaze O'Saben. The base hit extended Carr's on-base streak to 14 games and his hit streak to seven games.

O'Saben laced a single to center to score Acuna and bring Fort Myers within a run at 4-3. Angel Del Rosario then grounded into a fielder's choice to plate Carr and tie the game 4-4.

Chourio and Doncon both reached with one out in the bottom of the ninth with the game still tied, but were left stranded after Daytona's Trent Hodgdon recorded back-to-back strikeouts.

Brennan Oxford (3-1) worked a clean top of the tenth inning and struck out two to set up the Martinez walk-off.

The Mussels return to action for the series finale against the Tortugas on Sunday at 12:05 p.m. at Hammond Stadium. Michael Ross (2-4, 3.88) will start on the mound for Fort Myers, opposite Daytona's Hunter Hollan (1-2, 5.00). Coverage begins at 11:45 a.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.

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