New Mussels power Fort Myers to 10-2 win over Bradenton

FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 27, 2021) – Alerick Soularie and Christian Encarnacion-Strand both connected on their first Mighty Mussels’ home run Friday, leading Fort Myers past Bradenton 10-2 in the nightcap at Hammond Stadium.

Encarnacion-Strand finished the doubleheader 3-for-7 with two extra-base hits and 4 RBI, and is now batting .357 to start his professional career. The Twins’ selected Encarnacion-Strand in the fourth round of this summer’s draft.

Minnesota’s second pick in 2020 also hit his first Low-A dinger Friday. Soularie went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI in Game 2, while making several difficult plays on the infield.

After the Mussels (50-46) lost Game 1 by an 8-2 margin, Encarnacion-Strand got Fort Myers on top with a two-out single to left in the first inning.

Still leading 1-0 in the bottom of the second, Kole McKinnon doubled to left before Justin Washington drove him in with a base hit to right. The next batter was Soularie, who parked a two-run shot to left to extend the lead to 4-0.

After Bradenton (60-38) rallied for two runs in the top of the third, the Mussels put the game away in the bottom of the inning. Patrick Winkel doubled to deep center to begin the inning. After a throwing error put men at the corners, Jake Rucker walked to load the bases. Willie Joe Garry Jr. then chopped a ball to first. Ernny Ordonez’ throw to the plate ricocheted off the catcher’s mitt before Winkel inadvertently kicked it to the backstop – allowing two runs to score to make it 6-2 Mussels.

Will Holland then dropped a double in the gap to plate Rucker and extend the lead to 7-2. With two outs, Hudson Head dropped a fly ball in left to allow two more runs to score and make it 9-2.

Encarnacion-Strand’s home run to left in the fourth capped the scoring.

Zarion Sharpe (5-2) logged five innings of two-run ball to earn the win, striking out two while walking only one. Right-hander Carlos Suniaga turned in two scoreless innings in relief, fanning two.

The Mighty Mussels go for the series win at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.