Ninth Inning Homers Complete Mussels Comeback 12-8

WHAT A MOMENT FOR @LKeaschall 💥

2nd round pick, Luke Keaschall, hit a go-ahead 3-run HR in the 9th inning last night to secure a @MightyMussels WIN 💣

That was Keaschall’s FIRST EVER professional HR ‼️

🎙️@JohnVittas3 #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/ysHSSqcZTu

— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) August 19, 2023

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (August 18, 2023) – Luke Keaschall hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the top of the ninth Friday to beat the Palm Beach Cardinals 12-8 at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

The homer marked the first of Keaschall’s professional career and sparked a seven-run top of the ninth inning for Fort Myers (54-58, 20-26).

With the Cardinals (58-51, 21-23) leading 8-6 in the top of the ninth, Alec Sayre and Jay Harry singled to place runners at first and second for the Mussels. Keaschall then demolished a three-run homer to left that dramatically put Fort Myers up 9-8. The next hitter was Ricardo Olivar, who singled to center. After Olivar advanced to second on a balk, Danny De Andrade blasted a towering two-run homer to left that extended the lead to 11-8. After an error, walk, and hit batter, the Mussels loaded the bases for Alec Sayre, who drew a walk to force in a run and make it 12-8. Harry capped scoring with a sacrifice fly to right that pushed the lead to 13-8.

The Fort Myers bullpen was spectacular as Samuel Perez, Wilker Reyes, and Ricardo Velez (2-1) combined for 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing three hits with six strikeouts. The win marked the fourth time this year the Mussels have won a game after trailing through the first eight innings.

With no score in the top of the first, Harry singled and Keaschall was hit by a pitch to place runners at first and second for Olivar, who cranked a double to the wall in left center that put the Mussels up 1-0.

In the bottom of the first with two outs, Zach Levenson walked ahead of William Sullivan, who launched a double to right center that scored Levenson to tie the game at 1-1. The next hitter was Brayden Jobert, who lined a single to shallow center that brought hope Sullivan to give Palm Beach a 2-1 lead. After Jobert stole second, Chase Davis delivered a ground-rule double to right that pushed their advantage to 3-1.

After the Cardinals added on another run in the bottom of the second, the Mussels rallied for more in the top of the third when Harry singled and Keaschall reached on an error. With runners at second and third and one out, De Andrade muscled a single to shallow right that scored both runs to cut the deficit to 4-3.

In the bottom half of the same inning, the Cardinals continued to add on. After a walk, single, and hit batter loaded the bases with two outs, Lizandro Espinoza rolled a soft single to short that scored another run to make it 5-3 Cardinals. The next hitter was Joshua Baez, who lined a bases-clearing double over the head of Keaschall in center that put Palm Beach up 8-3.

With the same score in the top of the fourth, Rubel Cespedes singled and Rafael Cruz doubled to place runners at second and third with no outs. Kyle Schmidt then followed with a double to left that scored two to cut the Cardinals’ lead to 8-5. Later in the inning, Harry tapped an infield single in front of the mound that led to an errant throw to score Schmidt and make it 8-6.

Both bullpens then traded zeroes for five innings until the Mussels’ offense exploded for seven.

With the series now even at two games apiece, the Mussels will hand John Klein (0-1, 7.15) the ball to counter Hancel Rincon (8-4, 3.43) of the Cardinals on Saturday. First pitch slated for 6:00 p.m.