Sprock extends hitting streak to 17, Bass delivers late to lift Mussels over Mets
FORT MYERS – The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels defeated the St. Lucie Mets by a final score of 12-8 Wednesday afternoon at Lee Health Sports Complex.
Ryan Sprock extended his historic hitting streak to 17 consecutive games with a third inning double. Sprock’s knock broke a tie with three different Miracle-era players for third on the all-time list, tracked since 2005. The streak is the second longest since the Mussels’ era began in 2020. Next up on the all-time list is Mike Gonzalez, who hit in 19 straight games in 2014.
Sprock has 28 hits during his streak, which began on June 1. Reaching base six times today, Sprock’s batting average rises to .325 on the season, which is the best mark in the Florida State League. During the hitting streak, he carries a .570 OBP (1st in Single-A) and 1.275 OPS (3rd in Single-A). Sprock has reached base safely in 10 of his 11 plate appearances this week.
With five more extra-base hits today, the Mighty Mussels (40-30) extended their streak to 22 straight games with an extra-base hit, the longest active streak in the league.
Fort Myers sent Kolten Smith to the mound for his sixth start and 17th appearance of the season. Smith worked two scoreless innings before allowing a run in the third on a base hit from St. Lucie (35-35) shortstop Elian Pena to make it 1-0.
The Mussels responded in their half of the third. Sprock led off with his streak-extending double. After two strikeouts by Mets’ No. 27 prospect Cam Tilly, Jason Bass bounced a ground ball through the right side to tie the game 1-1. Quentin Young followed with an opposite field triple off the wall to give Fort Myers a 2-1 lead.
The lead was short-lived, as the first six Mets reached safely in the fourth and St. Lucie retook the lead 5-2. K. Smith walked the first two batters of the frame before giving way to Jonathan Stevens, who allowed both inherited runners to score along with two of his own runs.
Fort Myers answered back in the fifth. JP Smith II and Bass led off with a pair of hits. Then Young drew a walk to load the bases. A balk from Elwis Mijares plated the first run. Later in the frame, Irvin Nunez delivered a two-run single to center, tying the game 5-5.
The Mets got to Stevens again in the sixth, retaking the lead on a solo shot from Chase Meggers.
The Mussels tied the game again in the bottom half. After yet another walk from Sprock, Ramiro Dominguez drove him in on an RBI double down the right-field line.
Michael Hilker Jr. worked a clean top of the seventh inning with two strikeouts over 1.1 innings.
In the bottom of the seventh, Fort Myers took the lead on a wild pitch that scored Luis Fragoza.
In the subsequent inning, a two-out, two-run single by Jackson Hague gave the Mets the lead back at 8-7 against Mike McKenna (5-3).
Bass put the Mighty Mussels ahead for good in the bottom of the eighth against Joe Charles (0-2). Following a leadoff walk from Smith, Bass launched his ninth home run at 105.5 mph off the bat to put Fort Myers on top. Byron Chourio delivered a two-run single and Sprock added another RBI hit later in the inning to make it 12-8 Mighty Mussels.
McKenna locked down the win in the top of the ninth inning, aided by a 3-6 double play from Smith and Young to end the ballgame.
The series continues on Thursday, June 25. Fort Myers will send Ramiro Villanueva (4.22) to the mound, St. Lucie will counter prospect Joel Lara (5.40). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. with coverage beginning at 6:40 p.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.