Olivar Homer Seals Mussels’ Third Walk-Off Win of the Week

FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 27, 2023) – Ricardo Olivar slammed a two-run homer over the berm in left field to seal the Mighty Mussels’ third walk-off win of the week, a 6-4 victory in 10 innings against the Daytona Tortugas at Hammond Stadium.

After Daytona pushed across one run in the top of the tenth to go up 4-3, Walker Jenkins immediately drove in the tying run with a line drive single to center. On the very next pitch, Olivar ripped a 105-mph dinger inside the left field pole to win the game for Fort Myers.

The Mussels won games in walk-off fashion on Thursday and Friday as well, claiming five out of six in the series.

Sunday’s game was scoreless in the bottom of the first when Jenkins singled on a grounder to left. With two outs, Danny De Andrade slashed a single to right that moved Jenkins to third. The next batter was Rubel Cespedes, who ripped a base hit down the right field line to put the Mussels up 1-0.

Daytona quickly responded against Mussels’ starter Juan Mercedes, stringing together three extra-base hits in the top of the second to go on top 2-1.

The Tortugas tacked on another in the third on a Cam Collier RBI double. After Collier advanced to third on a wild pitch, he left third base early on a sacrifice fly, costing Daytona an important run.

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth, when De Andrade drew a two-out walk. The next batter was Cespedes, who pummeled a two-run home run over the wall in deep left center to tie the game 3-3.

Both bullpens traded zeroes in the later innings until the drama unfolded in the tenth.

The Mussels are scheduled to being a six-game series with the Clearwater Threshers at BayCare Ballpark on Tuesday. All six games will be broadcast on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.