Mussels Master Mets in 8-3 Victory

FORT MYERS, Fla. (June 4, 2023) – Kyle Schmidt finished a double shy of the cycle Sunday as the Mussels snapped their three-game losing streak with an 8-3 win over the St. Lucie Mets at Hammond Stadium.

Schmidt matched a career-high, driving in five runs for the third time in his professional career. The Mussels’ (28-23) catcher was hit by a pitch in the eighth during his fourth and final plate appearance as he bid for a cycle-clinching double. He finished the series 5-for-9.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom half of the inning, Mussels infielder Rubel Cespedes doubled before Alec Sayre walked to place two runners on with one out. The next hitter was Schmidt, who blasted a towering three-run homer over the berm in left. The dinger traveled 396 feet and gave the Mussels a 3-1 lead.

With the same score in the bottom of the third, the Mussels loaded the bases on two hits and one walk to open the inning. After Rafael Cruz struck out, Cespedes tapped a soft grounder to first that forced a wild throw to home which scored Major-League rehabber Gilberto Celestino from third. Two hitters later, Schmidt looped a single to shallow center that scored both Mikey Perez and Cespedes to extend the lead to 6-1.

After the Mets tacked on two more runs in the top of the fifth and sixth innings, the Mussels rallied for more in the bottom of the sixth. Schmidt led off with a triple past the diving attempt of Mets right fielder Yeral Martinez. Luis Baez followed with an RBI double down the left-field line to extend the Fort Myers lead to 7-3. With two outs in the same inning, Baez scored on a wild pitch from St. Lucie reliever Christopher Vasquez to extend the lead to 8-3.

Mussels’ reliever A.J. Labas closed out the ballgame, tossing a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts, securing the series split.

The Mussels will enjoy an off-day Monday before they begin a six-game series with the FSL West-leading Clearwater Threshers. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Hammond Stadium, with coverage beginning at 6:45 p.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.