Keaschall Doubles, Daytona Walks Help Mussels Win 8-4

FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 26, 2023) – Two Luke Keaschall doubles and 11 Daytona walks helped the Mighty Mussels claim the series from the Daytona Tortugas with an 8-4 win at Hammond Stadium Saturday.

Keaschall now has eight doubles in his first 19 Single-A games, with his last all three laced to the left field corner at Hammond Stadium.

Daytona (51-65, 22-29) got out to an early lead against Mussels’ (60-59, 26-27) starter Jose Olivares. After a pair of walks, Jackson Miller and Ethan O’Donnell both drove in runs with singles to make it 2-0.

With two outs in the top of the third, Ethan O’Donnell plated Miller from first on a base hit to the gap to make it 3-0 Tortugas.

Olivares settled down from there, completing five innings with just three hits allowed.

Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Fort Myers began their comeback with three walks. With one out, Danny De Andrade grounded a base hit to center and hustled to second base for a two-run double. The next batter was Rubel Cespedes, who chopped a grounder to second to push in the tying run and make it 3-3.

With the same score in the bottom of the sixth, Yohander Martinez and Alec Sayre both walked before a wild pitch moved them to second and third. The next batter was Dillon Tatum, who cranked a sacrifice fly to the warning track in left to give Fort Myers a 4-3 lead. Maddux Houghton then lined a single to center to plate Sayre and make it 5-3.

In the top of the eighth, Johnny Ascanio walked with one out. After an Ethan O’Donnell single to right, Jack Moss lined a base hit to the gap. Ascanio scored easily before O’Donnell rounded third. De Andrade unleashed a one-hop throw to home plate to nail O’Donnell and maintain the lead.

Still leading 5-4 in the bottom of the eighth, Tatum and Houghton both walked with one out. The next batter was Keaschall, who cranked his second double to left to extend the lead 7-4. A sacrifice fly and a Daytona error then forced across two more to cap the scoring at 9-4.

The Mussels’ win gives them their first series win at home since May 9-14 against Tampa.

Fort Myers will look to take five out of six with RHP Juan Mercedes (2-0, 5.40) on the hill at 12 p.m. on Sunday. RHP Johnathan Harmon (3-5, 4.15) will start for Daytona, with Mighty Mussels Pre-Game Live beginning at 11:45 a.m.