Mussels Bounce Back To Even Series Against Tarpons with 6-4 Win

FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 6, 2024) – All nine starters reached base as the Mighty Mussels used a balanced offensive attack to pick up their first win of the season, defeating the Tampa Tarpons 6-4.

Charlee Soto, the Twins’ No.7 prospect, made his professional debut and was solid through three innings of work, allowing two earned runs to score while picking up three strikeouts. The 18-year-old flamethrower ended his outing with back-to-back strikeouts and threw 28 of his 45 pitches for strikes.

The Tarpons (1-1) opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the second, striking first for the second time in as many nights. Coby Morales led off the inning with an infield single and came around to score on an error by Yohander Martinez. Jackson Castillo scored the second run for Tampa, coming across on a ground out off the bat of Daury Arias, putting his team ahead 2-0.

In the third, Tampa extended its lead to three with an RBI infield single from Enmanuel Tejeda.

Fort Myers (1-1) got on the board in the fourth as Brandon Winokur and Carlos Aguiar executed a double steal with Aguiar taking second and Winokur swiping home, making the score 3-1.

The Mussels’ offense found its groove in the fifth, as the offense connected on three hits and scored twice. Byron Chourio led off the inning with a 104.1 mph triple into the right center gap. Rayne Doncon drove in Chourio with a base hit up the middle to make it a 3-2 Tarpon lead. Jose Rodriguez then connected on a 104.9 mph ground-rule double to put two in scoring position. Winokur followed with a shot down the left field line but a full extension diving catch from Morales robbed him of extra bases and held the Mussels to a sacrifice fly, tying the game at 3-3.

In a tie game in the bottom of the sixth Poncho Ruiz singled with one out. Two batters later, Isaac Pena connected on an RBI single up the middle plating Ruiz. Tarpons center fielder Jackson Castillo let the ball roll under his glove, allowing Chourio to follow Ruiz and score all the way from first on the base hit to make it 5-3.

The Tarpons got a run back in the top of the seventh, cutting the Mighty Mussels’ lead to one on an RBI infield single from Tejeda.

Fort Myers brought across a big insurance run in the eighth. Ruiz led off the frame with a single and came around to score on Doncon’s second RBI hit of the game, putting the Mussels ahead 6-4.

The Mussels bullpen was lights out, as Jeremy Lee (1-0), Nolan Santos and Xander Hamilton combined to allow just one run over six innings while striking out 11 Tarpons. Lee earned the win after pitching four innings of relief and striking out six. Santos struck out the side on 14 pitches in his lone inning and Hamilton picked up a pair of strikeouts to record his first save of the season.

The Mussels will look to take the rubber match of this three game series Sunday at 12:05 p.m. Tanner Hall, the Twins’ fourth round pick from the 2023 draft, will make his professional debut opposite Tampas’ Josh Grosz. Coverage begins at 11:45 a.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.