Young drives in four runs as the Mighty Mussels outlast the Mets, 12-9
PORT ST. LUCIE – Quentin Young homered and drove in four runs as the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels defeated the St. Lucie Mets 12-9 Wednesday afternoon at Clover Park.
In a game that saw 20 combined runs on 27 total hits, the Mighty Mussels (48-41, 11-13) scored five runs in the seventh inning to take the lead for good over the Mets (42-48, 9-15) and level the series at one win apiece.
Mussels’ catcher Luis Hernandez opened the scoring with a solo homer in the top of the second. In the bottom of the frame, a misplay by Jayson Bass led to a leadoff triple for Mets No. 24 prospect Randy Guzman. He later scored on a sacrifice fly to tie the game 1-1.
Fort Myers responded in the top of the third. Ramiro Dominguez walked with one out. Bass followed with a single to right, setting up first and third. Luis Fragoza then pulled a ball into the left field corner for a sacrifice fly.
The Mets got right back to work off Mussels’ starter Callan Fang in the third, plating two runs on two hits to take a 3-2 lead. Fang would exit after 2.2 innings and a season-high 57 pitches. He issued four walks in the frame and Jonathan Stevens came into a bases loaded jam with two outs. Stevens induced a groundout to retire the side.
Still trailing 3-2 in the fifth, Luis Fragoza reached on a dropped third strike to begin the inning. A double from JP Smith II set up second and third. Minnesota Twins No. 12 prospect Quentin Young then tied the game with a sacrifice fly to deep right field. A hit-by-pitch of L. Hernandez kept the line moving. Harry Genth then pulled a two-run go-ahead single to left, making it 5-3.
Once again, the Mets responded in the bottom of the frame, scoring four runs on five hits and retaking the lead 7-5. St. Lucie strung together three consecutive hits with two outs off of Stevens.
The Mussels got two of the runs right back in the sixth, re-tying the game 7-7 on an RBI single from Smith and a wild pitch from new Mets’ reliever Ernesto Mercedes (1-3).
Appearing in his first game in 33 days, Jake Murray (5-2) bent but didn’t break in the bottom of the sixth. Murray loaded the bases on three singles, but escaped the jam with a strikeout and a flyout to keep the game tied.
In the seventh, Genth drew a leadoff walk. Ricardo Pena then connected on his first home run of the season, making it 9-7. Later in the frame, Young blasted an opposite field three-run shot to extend the lead to 12-7. Fort Myers sent nine men to the plate in the inning.
Adam Falinski (S3) covered the final three innings and allowed a pair of unearned runs.
The series continues with a doubleheader Thursday, July 23. Fort Myers will be the designated home team in the second game, which is makeup from June 27. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 4 p.m. with coverage beginning at 3:45 p.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.