Ruiz, Wingrove Power Mussels Past Flying Tigers 11-3

FORT MYERS, Fla. (June 15, 2024) – Poncho Ruiz recorded three hits and Rixon Wingrove continued his power barrage as the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels defeated the Lakeland Flying Tigers 11-3 on Saturday night at Hammond Stadium.

Ruiz now leads the team with 14 multi-hit games this season. Wingrove now has six hits with triple digit exit velocities in his last three games including three home runs. He topped out at 111.2 on a single to center in the seventh inning Saturday.

Lakeland (38-22) jumped ahead with two runs in the first off of Mussels’ (30-30) starter Charlee Soto.

The lead was short lived as Fort Myers responded with three runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead for good. Payton Eeles reached on a hit by pitch to lead off the frame. After Lakeland starter Hayden Minton (1-2) retired the next two batters on flyouts, Ruiz poked an opposite field single to right-center to get Fort Myers on the board.

Wingrove followed by blasting Minton’s 0-1 pitch over the wall in center field to put the Mussels ahead 3-2.

Soto tossed a shutdown frame in the top of the second, picking up a pair of strikeouts as he retired the side in order. He matched a season high in innings with four. The righty allowed just one earned run and racked up five strikeouts while walking one, ending his outing with a successful pickoff at first base to end the fourth.

With two outs in the bottom of the second, Matthew Clayton was hit by a pitch to flip the lineup card over. Eeles then worked a walk to put two aboard. Walker Jenkins followed with a bloop single down the left field line, plating Clayton and Eeles to extend the Fort Myers’ lead 5-2.

In the fifth, Spencer Bengard (3-1) was then called from the bullpen in a piggyback roll. He carved up the Lakeland lineup over the next five innings. The 22-year-old struck out five, allowed just three singles (two of which were infield hits) and walked none.

Still leading 5-2 in the seventh, Ruiz and Wingrove set the table with singles. With the bases loaded and two outs, Carlos Aguiar drove in two with a double down the right field line and Clayton followed with a single up the middle to plate another pair of runs to make it 10-3. Fort Myers sent nine men to the plate in the inning.

Ruiz added the final Fort Myers run in the eighth when he scalded an 104.6 mph RBI double to straight away center.

The Mussels scored nine of their 11 runs with two outs in an inning.

This was the fourth time the team scored in double digits and was the most runs since a season-high 12 runs against Dunedin on May 11. The team's 12 hits fell one shy of matching a season high. All nine starters reached base safely and seven of the nine scored.

The Mussels return to action on Sunday for a doubleheader beginning at 12:05 p.m. Jose Olivares (1-0, 1.80) will start game one for Fort Myers opposite Zack Lee (1-1, 2.32) of Lakeland. Coverage begins at 11:45 a.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.