Burkholder’s Three Hits and Late Homer Can’t Complete Comeback

WP: Merit Jones (3-1, 4.33)

LP: Ryan Degges (0-1, 9.00)

SV: Michael Hilker Jr. (3)

BOX SCORE

CLEARWATER, FL – Griffin Burkholder tied his season high with three hits and a home run, but the Clearwater Threshers (46-33, 6-7) couldn’t come back from an early deficit in a 4-3 loss to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (45-32, 8-4) on Friday night at BayCare Ballpark. The Threshers look to bounce back on Independence Day as they look for their third win of the series on Saturday night.

With two outs in the top of the first, Mighty Mussels’ outfielder Byron Chourio hit a three-run home run off the right-field foul pole to start the scoring in favor of Fort Myers. Robert Phelps responded with a single on the very first pitch of the home half of the first off Reed Moring. After the first out, Nathan Humphreys blasted a 1-2 pitch over the right-field wall for a two-run home run to cut the deficit to one run. Fort Myers got the run back on a solo homer to bring their lead up to two runs.

Griffin Burkholder led off the seventh inning with an inside-the-park home run on the first pitch of the frame to cut the deficit to one run. Clearwater couldn’t put anyone else in scoring position after the inside-the-parker and fell 4-3 to Fort Myers.

Ryan Degges (0-1) allowed three runs on two hits with one walk and one strikeout in 2.0 innings to take the loss. Grant Holman struck out two but allowed one run on two hits in 1.0 inning. Jackson Rutledge allowed one hit in 1.0 scoreless frame. Zuher Yousuf struck out five batters with two hits and one walk allowed in 4.0 scoreless innings. Jacob Pruitt tossed 1.0 scoreless and hitless ninth with two walks and two strikeouts.

The Threshers have hit two inside-the-park home runs in 2026...Burkholder has two inside-the-park homers in his career...His seventh-inning homer was the tenth of his Threshers career...Each of Humphreys’ last four hits have gone for extra bases...Yousuf tied his season high with five strikeouts...The Threshers will continue a six-game home series against the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels on Saturday, July 4...First pitch on Saturday evening will take place at 6:30 pm...You can purchase Threshers tickets at ThreshersBaseball.com/tickets or by calling 727-467-4457…The BayCare Ballpark Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 10 am – 5 pm...The box office will be open on Saturdays from 10 am - 3 pm...Visit our website at threshersbaseball.com for information on tickets and promotions for the Threshers season.