Hall, Lucky Power Mussels Past Threshers 6-1

CLEARWATER, Fla. (July 20, 2024) – Tanner Hall struck out a career high eight batters and Nick Lucky and Poncho Ruiz both homered as the Mighty Mussels defeated the Clearwater Threshers 6-1 on Saturday night at Baycare Ballpark.

The Mussels (45-41, 14-7) scored six unanswered runs from the fifth inning on to clinch the series win against the Threshers (50-39, 7-16). Fort Myers also set a new season high in team strikeouts with 15.

Hall (2-0) was outstanding in relief as his eight strikeouts also set a new season high for a Mussels’ reliever, passing Spencer Bengard who had seven out of the bullpen on April 30. Hall recorded five whiffs each with his curveball and changeup.

Mussels’ starter Connor Prielipp went the first two innings in a rehab assignment, striking out three while facing the minimum. He averaged 94.6 mph with his fastball, topping out at 95.6.

Clearwater opened the scoring in the fourth on an RBI single from Nikau Pouaka-Grego to make it 1-0.

With one out in the fifth, Walker Jenkins blasted a standup triple off the top of the wall in right. Byron Chourio followed with a sacrifice fly to left to tie the game 1-1.

Still tied in the sixth, Rixon Wingrove laced a leadoff single. Lucky followed with a 376-foot homer to straight away right to make it 3-1.

One inning later, the Mussels connected on four straight two-out hits, highlighted by an RBI double from Daniel Pena and an RBI single from Wingrove to extend the lead 5-1.

In the ninth, Ruiz crushed a leadoff opposite-field homer to make it 6-1.

The offense totaled 11 hits with five going for extra-bases. Jenkins reached base four times with three walks, while Ruiz and Lucky both went 3-for-5. Mussels’ pitchers went four batters over the minimum in the win and have struck out a combined 27 batters and held Clearwater to 2-for-21 with RISP over the first two games of the series.

The Mussels return to action on Sunday at 12 p.m for the series finale in Clearwater. Left hander Cesar Lares (2-3, 4.22) starts for Fort Myers, opposite Jonathan Petit (2-2, 6.83) of Clearwater. Coverage begins at 11:45 a.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.