Lucky’s Homer Leads Mussels Past Tarpons 6-2
FORT MYERS, Fla. (June 27, 2024) – Nick Lucky connected on a three-run home run in the second inning Thursday, to lead the Mighty Mussels past the Tampa Tarpons 6-2 at Hammond Stadium. In a scoreless game in the second inning, Isaac Pena and Yohander Martinez were each hit by
WE FEELING LUCKY? 🍀🍀🍀
— Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (@MightyMussels) June 27, 2024
Nick Lucky's first affiliated homer is a 105.3 mph rocket over the bleachers in right field🚀🤯
Top 3 | Mussels 3, Tarpons 0 pic.twitter.com/jsG3A3FfeI
FORT MYERS, Fla. (June 27, 2024) – Nick Lucky connected on a three-run home run in the second inning Thursday, to lead the Mighty Mussels past the Tampa Tarpons 6-2 at Hammond Stadium.
In a scoreless game in the second inning, Isaac Pena and Yohander Martinez were each hit by a pitch to put two aboard with one out. The next batter was Lucky, who blasted a 2-2 pitch from Tarpons (26-45, 2-3) starter Luis Serna (2-4) 105.3 mph off the bat and over the bleachers in right field to put the Mussels (36-35, 5-1) ahead 3-0.
The win put Fort Myers above the .500 mark for the first time since the team was 3-2 on April 10.
Mussels starter, AA rehabber Kyle Jones, was outstanding in his first full season outing of the year. Jones retired all nine batters he faced and struck out four.
Still leading 3-0 in the fourth, Isaac Pena reached on an infield single with one out. He then stole second to get into scoring position for Martinez. Martinez shot a single up the middle to plate Isaac Pena and make it 4-0. After Martinez stole second, Maddux Houghton rolled an infield single to second base as Martinez scored on a throwing error from Enmanuel Tejeda to make it 5-0.
Spencer Bengard (5-1) entered the game in the fourth and threw five solid innings of relief in a piggyback roll. Bengard allowed two runs on six hits and racked up six strikeouts while walking one.
Tampa got on the board in the seventh inning with an RBI single from Hans Montero and an infield RBI single from Oscar Silverio to make it 5-2. Those runs ended a streak of 12 consecutive scoreless innings by Mussels’ pitching.
Fort Myers added an insurance run in the bottom of the frame on an RBI single from Daniel Pena, as the 19-year-old recorded his first Low-A hit to make it 6-2.
Xander Hamilton pitched the final inning for the Mussels, striking out Silverio to end the game. Fort Myers pitching totalled 11 strikeouts to just one walk on the night as the Mussels took a perfect game into the fifth inning.
The Mussels return to action on Friday at 7:05 p.m. Charlee Soto (0-2, 5.94) takes the ball for Fort Myers, opposite Josh Grosz (0-1, 11.25) of Tampa. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. on The Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.