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FSL Fort Myers Mighty Mussels

Mussels Walk off with Doubleheader Sweep of Marauders

July 2, 2021 - Florida State League (FSL)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels News Release


FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels used a quality start, a sensational defensive play and a clutch hit late to walk off with a doubleheader sweep of the Bradenton Marauders at Hammond Stadium Friday.

After winning Game 1 of the doubleheader 7-4, Fort Myers (30-22) came to bat in a 4-4 game in the bottom of the seventh in Game 2. Willie Joe Garry Jr. dropped a single into center before stealing second base with nobody out. After a strikeout, Ruben Santana advanced Garry Jr. to third with a ground out. With two outs and the winning run at third, Jefreson Morales worked a 3-2 count before lining a walk-off single to center to seal a 5-4 win.

Mussels starter Sawyer Gipson-Long allowed a two-run home run to Endy Rodriguez in the first inning, but battled back to retire 18 the next 22 batters. In total, the Georgia native fanned nine without walking a single batter.

Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the first, Morales ripped a leadoff double down the left field line. Two batters later, Yunior Severino plated Morales on a sacrifice fly to left. After a walk to Misael Urbina, Will Holland lifted a two-run home run to left to give Fort Myers a 3-2 lead.

The standout defensive play came in the top of the second. With a runner on first and no outs, Bradenton's Jase Bowen lined a ball at 105.2 mph to the top of the wall in left. Justin Washington made a running, leaping catch, crashing into the wall at full speed while keeping his balance. He quickly fired the ball in to Holland, who threw out the runner at first for a double play.

The Mighty Mussels tacked on an insurance run in the fourth on an opposite field double from Nick Anderson.

Fort Myers didn't wasted time taking the lead in Game 1, going up 2-0 in the first on a Morales double and Urbina single.

Still up two in the second, an error and a Washington single put the first two men on. The next batter was Santana, who lashed a single to center to extend the lead to 3-0. Three batters later, Severino cranked a 468-foot home run out of the stadium to right center to double the lead and make it 6-0.

Zarion Sharpe, Matt Swain and Juan Pichardo covered all seven innings for the Mussels, with Swain (3-1) going two scoreless to earn the win.

The Mighty Mussels will go for the series lead at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Louie Varland (3-1, 1.98) makes the start for Fort Myers, opposed by Adrian Florencio (2-1, 2.50) of the Marauders. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.

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