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Duran Walk-Off Double Completes Comeback over Palm Beach

July 29, 2023

FORT MYERS, Fla. (July 28, 2023) – Gregory Duran’s walk-off double capped a dramatic four-run comeback for the Mighty Mussels Friday in their 6-5 win over the Palm Beach Cardinals at Hammond Stadium. The win snapped Fort Myers’ (46-48, 12-16) three-game losing streak and gave them their third walk off

FORT MYERS, Fla. (July 28, 2023) – Gregory Duran’s walk-off double capped a dramatic four-run comeback for the Mighty Mussels Friday in their 6-5 win over the Palm Beach Cardinals at Hammond Stadium.

The win snapped Fort Myers’ (46-48, 12-16) three-game losing streak and gave them their third walk off win of the season.

Trailing by three in bottom of the eighth, Carson McCusker and Alec Sayre singled to place runners at the corners. With one out, Duran rolled a soft grounder to third that scored McCusker to cut the Cardinals’ (47-44, 10-16) lead to 5-3. The next hitter was Maddux Houghton, who cracked a liner to center to score Sayre and cut the deficit to one run. After walks to Alec Sayre and Kamron Willman, the bases were loaded for minor-league rehabber Hernan Perez, who struck out on a passed ball. As the pitch rolled to the back stop, Houghton scored to tie the game at 5-5.

After reliever Zach Veen (4-3) tossed a scoreless top of the ninth, the Mussels rallied with two outs in the bottom of the frame. After Sayre lined a single to right, Duran launched a double to the wall in left that scored Sayre to secure the walk-off victory.

The four-run deficit was the largest deficit overcome in a win by Fort Myers all season.

With no score in the top of the first, Michael Curialle singled and Chase Davis walked to place two runners on. With two outs and runners at the corners, Mussels’ starter Juan Mercedes (1-0) hurled a wild pitch that scored Curialle from third to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the first, Perez walked, advanced to second on a passed ball, and stole third. With one out in the frame, McCusker sent a grounder to short that scored Perez to tie the game at 1-1.

In the top of the second, Kade Kretzschmar walked, stole second, and advanced to third on an error. With no outs, Trey Paige flew a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Kretzschmar and give Palm Beach a 2-1 advantage.

Still leading by one in the top of the third, the Cardinals rallied for more after Curialle was hit by a pitch and Brayden Jobert walked. With two outs in the frame, Chase Adkinson lined a single to center that scored Jobert to extend the Cardinals’ lead to 3-1.

With two outs in the top of the sixth, Palm Beach continued to add on when Trey Paige singled, and Lizandro Espinoza sent a two-run homer to berm in left that pushed the lead to 5-1.

In the bottom half of the same frame, Rubel Cespedes and Sayre drew consecutive walks. After a flyout advanced Cespedes to third, Houghton delivered with a sacrifice fly to left to cut the deficit to 5-2.

Fort Myers will give John Klein (0-0, 0.00) the start tomorrow, opposed by Jose Davila (0-2, 5.44) of the Cardinals. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. with coverage beginning at 5:45 p.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.