Cardinals Ride Late Rally Past Mighty Mussels in 7-6 Win on Friday Night

JUPITER, FL – The Palm Beach Cardinals (26-26; 59-59) beat the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (26-25; 63-53) by a final score of 7-6 in a back-and-forth affair on Friday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. With the win and Daytona loss, Palm Beach is now seven games back of first place in the FSL East Division with 14 games remaining in the regular season.

In the bottom of the first inning, Palm Beach plated two runs against Fort Myers starting pitcher Matthew Dalquist. After Ryan Mitchell lined a single to right field to lead off the frame, Sebastian Dos Santos launched his sixth home run of the year, a two-run blast to right field, to give Palm Beach a 2-0 lead.

Fort Myers responded in the top of the second inning. After Cardinals starting pitcher Jan Cabrera issued two one-out walks, Quentin Young hit an RBI single into center field to score the first Mussels run of the game. However, Cabrera induced a double play to the next hitter, Yovanny Duran, to end the inning and keep the score 2-1.

Palm Beach got the run back in the bottom of the second inning. Gabe Camacho led off with a single and JP Cabrera hit a double to put two runners in scoring position. Mitchell came up and hit a ground ball on the infield and induced an error to score Camacho to extend the Cardinals’ lead to 3-1.

However, the Mighty Mussels took the lead in the top of the third inning. With one out, Vahn Lacky and Carson Tinney back-to-back solo home runs to tie the game. The next hitter, Aidan Teel, reached on an error and Ramiro Dominguez drove him in with an RBI double to put the Mussels ahead 4-3.

In a back-and-forth game, the Cardinals answered right back in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two outs, Trevor Haskins hit a single, stole second base, and advanced to third base on an error. Mitchell came up to the plate and delivered again, this time on an RBI double to left field, to tie the game at 4-4 through four innings.

Cabrera was pulled his start after four innings with four runs allowed, three of which were earned, in a no-decision. Jaden Alba came in to pitch the top of the fifth inning for Palm Beach. After a leadoff walk and a double put runners at second and third base, Alba got two quick outs. However, the Mighty Mussels got a run scored on what was officially a wild pitch to take a 5-4 lead.

Two innings later in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Cardinals got back to work on offense. JP Cabrera led off with a walk and two batters later Mitchell hit a bloop single to right field to put runners at first and third base. Dos Santos delivered a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Cabrera to tie the game at 5-5.

The Mussels retook the lead in the top of the seventh inning against Alba. Tinney hit a leadoff double and later scored on a Dominguez sacrifice fly which gave Fort Myers a 6-5 lead.

Palm Beach jumped ahead in the bottom of the eighth inning against Adam Falinski (L, 2-2; BS, 2). Cabrera led off the inning with a single and advanced to second base after a walk by Dos Santos. With one out, Alexander Frias lined a 107 mile-per-hour, two-RBI double into right-center field to give Palm Beach a 7-6 lead.

Brian Garmon II (W, 2-1), who had pitched a perfect top of the eighth inning, stayed out for the top of the ninth inning. Against the top of the order, Garmon II set the Mussels down in order to close out an 7-6 win for Palm Beach.

Mitchell finished 3-for-5 at the plate with a double, RBI, and run scored. Dos Santos delivered three RBIs and scored twice. Cabrera went 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored. Haskins extended his hit streak to five games and now has a hit in seven of his last eight games.

Come to the ballpark on Saturday, August 22 for “County Fair Night” presented by the South Florida Fair as The Cardinals and Mighty Mussels face off at 6:00 p.m. It will be another Frozen Iguanas and Code Ninjas Kids Club Saturday. Click here to purchase your Palm Beach Cardinals tickets.

For select Saturdays in 2026, the Palm Beach Cardinals take on the alternate identity of the “Palm Beach Frozen Iguanas!” You can join the cold front and purchase an “Ice Cold 6-Pack” ticket package to get a ticket for all Frozen Iguanas games, exclusive benefits, and access to special events as part of this season-long membership.

Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium is “America’s Busiest Ballpark” as the only home of two full season minor league affiliates. Enjoy the best entertainment membership packages in Palm Beach County with our staple programs like “Rockwell Hearing Center Silver Sluggers” every Wednesday for all fans 55 and up, “Thirsty Thursdays” every Thursday for all fans 21 and up, and “Code Ninjas Kids Club” every Saturday for all fans 15 and under.

New to 2026, fans can purchase tickets to the Jupiter Medical Center Champions Club down the left field line for an elevated baseball experience. Returning for 2026, every Tuesday game is a “2-for-1 Tuesday” where fans get two reserved box tickets for the price of one ($15) and every Sunday game is a “$10 Sunday” where all tickets are just 10 dollars. For more information on tickets, schedules, promotions, and more, call the ticket office at 561-630-1828 or visit the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium website.

About Jupiter Stadium, LTD:

Opening in 1998, the 110-acre complex/stadium is specially designed to house two Major League and two Minor League Baseball Teams. The stadium is home to the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals for Spring Training. The Florida State League’s Jupiter Hammerheads (Class A Affiliate of the Miami Marlins) and Palm Beach Cardinals (Class A Affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals) make their home at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium from April through September. Branded as “America’s Busiest Ballpark,” this year-round facility can accommodate everything from birthday parties to corporate outings to tournaments, while never forgetting that every fan is our most important priority.