Mussels blank Mets 7-0 in rain-shortened game

FORT MYERS, Fla. (June 3, 2021) – The Fort Myers Mighty Mussels shut out the St. Lucie Mets for the second time in three games, blanking the Mets 7-0 in eight innings on Thursday at Hammond Stadium.

The game was called after eight innings when rain moved through and rendered the field unplayable.

Mets No. 6 prospect J.T. Ginn made his organizational debut. He pitched three scoreless innings and induced 6-4-3 inning-ending double plays in all three innings. Ginn scattered two singles, did not walk a batter and struck out one. He threw 44 pitches.

Ginn was drafted in the second round of last summer’s draft out of Mississippi State. He had undergone Tommy John surgery in March of 2020.

Mussels catcher Kyle Schmidt broke a scoreless tie with a leadoff home run to left field in the fifth inning. Keoni Cavaco hit a two-out RBI triple later in the inning to make it 2-0.

Yunior Severino hit a RBI single in the seventh inning off of reliever Luis Moreno, then Misael Urbina lifted a sac fly for a 4-0 Mussels lead.

The Mussels drew five walks against Sammy Tavarez and Brailin Gonzalez with rain falling in the eighth and scored three runs in the inning to pull away.

Mussels starter Louie Varland pitched six innings and gave up just three singles. He did not walk a batter and struck out six.

Steven Cruz pitched the final two innings with two walks and two strikeouts.

Matt O’Neill went 1 for 1 with a single, walk and hit-by-pitch in the loss.

The Mets (16-11) and Mighty Mussels (14-13) play the fourth game of their series at Hammond Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m.