Mussels' Bats Stay Hot in Doubleheader Sweep

F**ORT MYERS, Fla (July 15, 2022) –F The Mighty Mussels bats stayed hot as they swept the doubleheader by scores of 6-1 and 7-4 against the Clearwater Threshers Friday at Hammond Stadium.The Mighty Mussels (48-32, 7-9) have now won five consecutive games on the backs of their bats. During the winning streak, Fort Myers has averaged 7.2 runs per game while tallying nine home runs and hitting for .331 average.In the second inning of Game 1, the Mussels led off the inning with a **Kala’i Rosario hit-by-a-pitch and Noah Cardenas double to left. Two batters later, Carlos Aguiar towered a home run to right field to put the Mussels up 3-0. After Clearwater (40-44, 5-14) scored in the top of the forth to cut it 3-1, Rubel Cepedes doubled to right field to score Aguiar and extend the lead to 4-1. Then with one out, Misael Urbina singled to right and stole second base. The errant throw allowed Cespedes to score and make it 5-1. After a 40-minute delay and with one out in the bottom of the fifth, Cardenas pulled a homer down the left field line to cap the scoring of Game 1 at 6-1. Marco Raya went four innings, giving up three hits while striking out four. Malik Barrington (3-2) tossed the three innings following the delay, giving up one hit while striking out three Threshers. Down a run in the first inning of Game 2, Noah Miller laced a one out single to right. Then Keoni Cavaco doubled to left on a diving attempt by Clearwater left fielder Marcus Lee Sang which tied the game 1-1. After Cardenas reached base, Mikey Perez doubled to the left-center gap to score Cavaco and give the Mussels a 2-1 lead. Cardenas then scored on a wild pitch and capped the inning at 3-1.In the bottom of the third, Perez led off the inning with a double and then stole third base. With one out, Perez scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 4-1. Then with two outs, Luis Baez singled and Frank Nigro walked. Urbina then came up and hit a moonshot onto the left field berm to add some insurance to the lead at 7-1. In the top of the sixth, Clearwater was able to score three runs with two outs on three walks and three singles and cut the lead to 7-4. Johnathan Lavallee escaped the bases loaded jam to earn his first Low-A save.Mike Paredes (5-2) worked five innings in Game 2, giving up one run on three hits and three walks.